


All The World's A Stage

by Ultra



Category: Smallville
Genre: Acting, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, References to Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet References, Season/Series 01, Shakespeare Quotations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-08
Updated: 2010-06-08
Packaged: 2018-12-03 11:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: When Clark & Lana take The Torch away from Chloe, she doesn't know what to do, until two new friends encourage her into acting. New guy, Paul Danforth, is a great guy, but it's Lex Luthor that is getting all of Chloe's attention. She might be liking the local billionaire a little more than as just a friend, and though he might feel the same about her, he has to be careful - she is only fifteen, after all!





	1. Chapter 1

As Chloe stormed out of the Torch office, she couldn’t stop the tears coming. She cried for the loss of her job all over again, but just as much for the loss of her friend. It was as if Lana Lang was taking everything out from under Chloe’s feet. She acted like she was her friend but it was all a big fat lie as far as the blonde was concerned, and she wasn’t standing for it anymore. She could take her newspaper from her, hell, she could even take Clark Kent if she must, but Chloe wasn’t letting her pride slip away so easily. They wouldn’t see her cry, none of them, she decided, as she ran out to the parking lot and beyond, off the school grounds before anyone had a chance to stop her. Not that anyone was likely to try, she told herself, which only made her cry more. Clark and Lana had each other, Pete had other girls to pay attention to, and what did Chloe have? Her best friends too easily distracted by others, and her sanctuary invaded by the cheerleader from hell, her father always busy with work, and...

“Hey!” she exclaimed, as someone got in her way half way down the town's main street.

Blinded by tears, she hadn’t a clue who she’d run into, only that she was pissed he’d got in her way when all she wanted to do was bolt. Chloe tried to shrug the hands off her shoulders, but they didn’t budge and with a defiant look in her teary eyes she glared up at the one who held her still.

“Miss Sullivan?” Lex looked suitably surprised to find that the blonde who had just hurtled into him was Clark’s good friend, apparently less than happy if her tear-stained face was anything to go by.

“Mr Luthor,” she sniffled, feeling so embarrassed as she finally pulled herself free of his grasp and scrubbed at her face with her hands. “I, er, I’m sorry...” she said, swallowing hard and glancing around at anything but him to save on further blushing.

“First of all, you can call me Lex,” he told her with a kind smile as she glanced briefly up at him. “Mr Luthor just makes me sound old and, well, a little too much like my father for comfort,” he explained, glad to raise at least half a watery smile from the girl in front of him, “and secondly, pardon the redundant question but, are you okay?” he asked, sure she wasn’t but a little unsure how to deal with this, truth be told.

Business matters he could handle, and women in general were an even simpler task for Lex. This was different, since Chloe was just a girl, and beside which her feelings mattered by association since she was such a good friend of Clark as well as the only daughter of his plant manager, Gabe, who was fast becoming Lex’s right hand man of late.

“I’m fine.” Chloe faked a smile that lasted all of two seconds, before her face crumbled back into crying mode, twin tears escaping from her eyes and making her all the more mad at herself.

“Yeah, I remember that type of fine.” Lex nodded knowingly. “Usually ends in a bottle of scotch for me.”

That got a little gurgle of laughter from the evidently upset teen and her new acquaintance was glad to hear it. He hated to see tears on such a pretty face, though when he’d realised Chloe Sullivan was pretty he wasn’t certain. It was perhaps just one of those given things, like roses are beautiful and sunsets are glorious. In any case, right now it was to be put to the back of Lex’s mind as he concentrated on the current issue.

“I’m not much of a drinker, at least not alcohol.” Chloe sniffed. “I could use a coffee though,” she said, not meaning to drop any kind of hint, but apparently doing so anyway.

“Coffee it is.” Lex nodded once. “If you’ll allow me to keep you company for a while?”

“Um, sure.” Chloe found herself agreeing, if only because it meant someone, anyone, was paying attention for two seconds. “I mean, you don’t have to...”

“Chloe, I’d like to, really,” he assured her kindly, leading her down the street towards the Beanery. “I’d also like to point out that I’m a pretty good listener, if you could use one,” he said vaguely, deliberately not prying but just letting the poor girl know she had a friend.

Lex knew all too well what it was like to feel alone, to not have a friend to turn to. With a cold-hearted father, his mother long gone from this world, and hardly any friends to speak of, Lex hadn’t had the easiest childhood or young adulthood. If he could help Clark, or Chloe as Clark’s friend, then he would, if only because it proved he wouldn’t be the same as he his father in yet another way.

“I’m not sure you want to hear my problems, Lex.” Chloe sighed as they sat down together at a table in the coffee house, wiping her face clean of tears and smeared make-up with the nearest paper napkin.

“I understand if it’s personal or...” he shifted in his seat. “Well, you might be more comfortable talking with Clark,” he stopped short of finishing what he might’ve said when an angry little growl of a sound erupted from Chloe’s throat.

“Please do not even mention that idiot right now!” she exploded a second later, immediately regretting her outburst as she seemed to have both startled Lex and caught the attention of a few patrons of the cafe. “I’m sorry, I know he’s like your best friend,” she apologised to Lex, “but I thought he was mine too, and lately it’s all about Lana Lang and...”

“And?” he prompted her to continue as she appeared to be having trouble getting the words out.

“First, she takes my friend, and now, she’s taken my world,” she explained, feeling a little silly and almost certain Lex would think she was just a silly kid making a mountain out of a mole hill. “Principal Kwan fired me from the Torch, and then handed it over to Lana Lang,” she said scornfully.

“Ah.” Lex nodded once, because now he understood.

That school newspaper really was Chloe’s world, this he knew from the way she, Clark, and Gabe had talked about it. Chloe’s name was almost always followed by the word ‘Torch’ in some form or other, and Lex now understood what had got her so upset. It was true that their mutual friend, Clark, had an obsessive nature when it came to Lana, and if that same girl had now taken Chloe’s paper out from under her, the tears she shed and anger she felt were totally understandable.

With coffees now placed before them, and Chloe looking a little less red and puffy, the unlikely couple sipped their drinks in silence for a while, before Lex spoke again.

“Y’know, Chloe, those who work in the newspaper industry rarely find their working lives run smoothly,” he explained to her. “I just wonder if perhaps a change of path might do you good, whilst you still have the chance to-”

“Why would I want to do anything else?” she snapped at the suggestion, her looks and tone softening in a moment when she recalled that Lex was the only one being nice to her right now, and he was most likely just trying to help. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “It’s just... writing is my life, Lex. I don’t know how to do anything but be a reporter.”

“Chloe, at the risk of sounding patronising, and as old as Methusula,” he said, smiling at her, “at your age, you’ve hardly lived enough to know what you’re capable of,” he told her, leaning his elbows on the table and smiling some more. “All I’m saying is, perhaps, even if it’s just for a short while, perhaps you could try a new hobby, expand your horizons.”

Chloe sat back in her seat, staring across at Lex Luthor with a deliberately unreadable expression on her face. Part of her wanted to start yelling again, indignant at the suggestion she should give up being a reporter, and yet another part was intrigued. All her life, Chloe had a plan to work at the Daily Planet one day, to be the best journalist she could be, and nothing else. Everything came second to the dream, absolutely everything, to the point where she’d put friendships on the line and missed out on other opportunities for adventure and fun, even in her education. Maybe it was time to experience something new. After all, she did have her whole life ahead of her, and journalism wasn’t exactly going anywhere. It was a little surprising to Chloe to realise that somehow Lex had worded his suggestion in such a way that she was seriously thinking about it, instead of flying into her usual blind rage at such a moment.

“You know if anyone else had said that to me, I’d’ve probably ripped their head off for suggesting it,” she said honestly, as she picked up her coffee and sipped it, only to ensure she wasn’t about to burn her throat.

“I’m flattered that you think enough of me to leave me intact at this point.” He smirked back at her, knowing that she hadn’t really meant to make a joke.

Lex had heard about Chloe’s temper from Clark. With her mind set on something, she was like a dog with a bone, and Lex had to respect that. Still, he stood by what he said. If Principal Kwan was going to take the thing Chloe loved away, well, that could be easily fixed, especially by someone as rich and influential as Lex Luthor, but he’d meant what he said to her. Maybe it would do her good to try something new, away from Clark and Lana whose on-again off-again possibility of a romance was clearly causing her pain. If she could prove she didn’t need them or the school paper to define her, she’d be all the stronger for it, and Lex was all for strong young women. They were so much easier to respect and like than the Lana Lang type - sweetness and light got old all too quickly.

“So, what do you think?” Chloe said suddenly, catching his attention once again. “Band geek or cheerleading whore?” she asked, striking two different poses that made Lex chuckle.

“I’m not sure either of those would particularly suit you,” he said carefully, mindful of causing her any more offence or upset on a day when she’d evidently already had quite enough, “but feel free to prove me wrong if you want to.”

“Not going to happen.” She rolled her eyes in response to that one. “I have to say, I am intrigued as to how you know those things are not right for me. You really don’t know me very well yet.”

“Let’s just say that, much like yourself, I like to think I’m both a quick and good judge of character,” he explained as he finished off his coffee and placed the empty mug down on the table.

“Might be better if people weren’t so quick to judge you,” she said, feeling a little silly when he gave her an inquisitive look off that particular statement. “I mean, y’know, the things people say about you and your family... My Dad has always been on your side and... well, from what I’ve seen so far, you seem like a nice guy to me.”

Lex faltered just a moment at that, before a smile took over his lips.

“Thank you, Chloe,” he said, as genuinely as he’d ever said anything, knowing of course that as much as he’d like her to be right in her assessment, there was a great deal she didn’t know that perhaps she would find far less palatable than this innocent chat over a cup of coffee.

Chloe found herself almost hypnotised by the look in Lex’s eyes at that moment. He looked so happy and grateful at her words, it was as if she’d just paid him the greatest compliment in the world. Perhaps she had in some ways, though it didn’t really make sense to her. All Chloe knew was that far from the formidable business man the papers wrote of, the devil child that she’d read about in archived records and such, Lex Luthor really did seem like a genuinely decent man to her, one of the good guys. He’d certainly helped her out today, made her feel somewhat better about what Principal Kwan, Lana, and even Clark had done to her, plus he’d given her food for thought about her extra-curriculars and her future. All over one cup of coffee. It just went to prove what a marvel Lex Luthor really was.

“I’m afraid I have a meeting to get to now,” she heard him say when she tuned back into reality, “but the coffee is on me, and I can get you another if you want to stay?”

“No, thanks.” She shook her head. “Really, it’s fine, I should be going too.”

She smiled as they both got to their feet, and Lex moved to the counter to pay for the drinks they’d consumed. Walking outside together, Lex unlocked his car and asked Chloe if he could drop her at home or anywhere else on his way. She politely declined, saying she’d really rather walk.

“You’ve given me some food for thought,” she told him. “I appreciate the advice, Lex, really.”

“Any time, Chloe,” he told her as he climbed into his sports car, “and I mean that,” he assured her, wondering why he was suddenly befriending yet another attendee of Smallville High - it was becoming an odd habit lately.

Chloe watched the car pull away from the kerb and speed off down the street, tyres squealing all the way. Lex may be a good guy, even an insightful guy, but he still drove like an idiot.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe walked into Smallville High, alone and unphased by the fact of it. She had no Torch office to go hide in, but that was just fine. She would admit she was avoiding Lana and Clark, and therefore Pete by default, but she would not run and cower if they came by. She just didn’t want to deal with how they made her feel - betrayed and worthless being the two obvious words that sprung to mind. If not for Lex and his little pep talk yesterday, Chloe might have felt worse about walking through the school halls, knowing that by now everyone was very aware she’d been replaced as Editor of the school paper.

Today was the first day of the rest of Chloe’s life, or something slightly less dramatic and cliché, she told herself, as she headed down the hall, her eyes browsing various noticeboards as she went. She needed an activity, a club, a pastime, something she could throw herself into instead of journalism, even if only for a short while. Change was a good thing, trying new things was a must, especially when you were young and able. Chloe knew all this and intended to put it into practice on this very morning.

“Okay, sport is out...” she muttered as she looked past various brightly coloured posters, knowing as she did her hand-eye co-ordination left a lot to be desired, and various dangerous situations in her investigative reporting had taught her running was not her speciality. “Not so much musical...” she said, skipping right by a band notice and orchestra club advertisement.

“Excuse me.”

A guy was suddenly reaching across in front of her to what appeared to be the one spare inch of space on the board. He smiled and thanked Chloe when she moved over and gave him room to complete his task.

“You think you might be interested?” he asked then, gesturing to the poster he’d just put up.

“Drama Club? I’m not sure I’m really that person.”

“Oh, you’re Chloe Sullivan” he said after a moment. “Sorry, I’m still learning names and faces,” he apologised, “I’m Paul Danforth, I just transferred last month.”

“And you’re already campaigning to get people into a school club? Wow, you’re very enthusiastic about your art.” She smiled, not meaning any harm in what she said for once, and glad he didn’t take offence.

“It’s true, you caught me,” he told her. “I am a drama geek and proud,” he told her with a grin, “but the Smallville High group seems to be suffering from lack of female interest. From what I can make out, you’re not big on productions here and mostly because you ladies would rather lead cheers or hang out at the mall... present company excepted, obviously,” he threw in at the last, making Chloe smile.

“Well, you may not have heard yet, but the Torch is no longer my sanctuary either,” Chloe told him, albeit a little sadly, “and since neither the football fields or the clothing stores really appeal, I am kind of looking for a new use for my time.”

“Then may I suggest you come along to our next meeting?” Paul tried to persuade her, handing her a copy of the flyer he was currently pinning up around school, the same one he had just put up on the noticeboard right in front of them. “No pressure, but I have a feeling with your flair for dramatic writing and passionate speech making, you’d make an amazing leading lady,” he told her with a wink as he then turned and walked away.

Chloe watched him go, laughing at his words that had surprised her to say the least. Glancing from Paul’s retreating form to the paper in her hand, she smiled.

“Acting, huh?” she said thoughtfully, looking over the flyer - it wasn’t the worst idea ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe exited the hall with a smile on her face as she looked down at the pages in her hand. Life was seldom if ever boring in Smallville but she could all too easily have become just that after being thrown out of The Torch. Bitter and resentful was not a good look for anyone, and Chloe’s talk with Lex Luthor, followed by a further conversation with fellow Smallville High student, Paul Danforth, had led her to this; picking up a bundle of script excerpts in preparation for an audition to star in the school’s production of an as yet undecided Shakespearean classic.

Chloe wouldn’t exactly call herself a Drama geek, but Paul had been right about her passion for speech making, both in writing and verbally. She felt her emotions deeply, though she rarely let them show in front of others. As an actress in a play, she would be able to let out so much she’d bottled up, both recently and over the years before. She certainly had enough experience of anger, sadness, and betrayal lately, as her so-called best friends seemed quite happy to avoid her these past couple of days. Sure, she was avoiding them too, but Clark siding with Lana, and Pete not bothering to care too much about it, left Chloe wondering why she should make an effort. That should be down to them, and so it was, she realised, as she headed to her locker and found the pair waiting for her, despite the fact the bell had rung a while back and they had no activity to hang around for.

“Chloe, hey,” they greeted her almost simultaneously.

“Hi,” she replied sharply, practically shoving them out of the way so she could get into her locker and grab the books she needed before heading home.

The two boys shared a look over the little blonde’s head as she slammed her belongings around then pushed the locker door shut with a loud clang and turned to walk away without another word.

“Hey, Chloe, come on!” Pete called after her, catching up to her in a couple of paces and getting in front of her. “We’ve hardly seen you the past two days. What gives, girl?”

“Like you don’t know,” she looked painfully amused at the suggestion as Clark suddenly appeared at her side once again.

“You can’t still be mad about the Torch, Chloe,” he insisted.

At that, she laughed, a hollow sound that almost made her two friends wince.

“Why shouldn’t I still be mad, Clark?” she asked him. “Come on, tell me!” she insisted. “You two are supposed to be my best friends,” she pointed out, physically poking a finger at one then the other, “and before you jump in and say ‘of course we are, Chloe’ don’t even bother!” she yelled at them, angry and upset by their behaviour. “If you were really such great friends, you’d understand how much it hurts to have The Torch taken away from me like that!” she said, forcing back the tears that threatened to well in her eyes even now. “You should know what it means to me.”

“We do,” Clark insisted, “and Lana’s your friend too, she tried to help, she has a plan-”

“Yeah, well, now I have a plan of my own,” he was swiftly told, hitting him across the very solid chest with her script book of sample Shakespeare scenes and speeches.

Clark and Pete looked like the strangest of mirror images as their eyes went comically wide at the very same moment.

“Chloe, what...?” her friend began and she looked from Clark to Pete, a look on her face that silenced him in a second - she was more than a little mad right now.

“I just joined Drama Club and I’m auditioning for the school play,” she explained sharply, as her two friends looked at each other and tried to surpress a smile each.

They loved Chloe, of course they did, the three of them had been best friends for years, and she was a great person. They wanted to be supportive of her, they really did, but the very idea of her being in a play, especially a Shakespeare play, seemed just ridiculous. Pictures in their head of their non-nonsense modern girl friend in a flowing dress yelling ‘Where for art though, Romeo?’ or similar just made them both want to bust up laughing, and that only served to make Chloe more mad at them.

“I should’ve known your lack of support was inevitable.” She shook her head as she pulled her scripts from Clark’s hands and turned away. “Some friends you’re turning out to be.”

“Hey, Chlo, come on!” Pete called after her, grinning in spite of himself at the idea of her new activity still. “You can’t be serious about this. You’re gonna win a Pulitzer, not an Oscar.”

“Says who, Pete?” she yelled at him, angry at the intervention, perhaps more so because she honestly didn’t believe in herself so much anyway and he was only making the gnawing doubt even worse. “Okay, maybe I’m not good enough to be the next big star on the Hollywood walk of fame, but maybe I’ll never work for the Daily Planet either,” she said, hating to admit such a thing even now, “but right now, my choices are kind of limited and I will not sit on my ass doing nothing for the rest of high school, just because Miss Cheer Spirit 2002 stole my newspaper out from under me!”

“Chloe, that’s not fair,” said Clark with the severest look he could manage on his usually smiley face.

This expression, Chloe had quickly learnt, was reserved only for when anyone dared to suggest that Lana Lang was not completely pure, innocent, and wonderful. It hurt to think he would never be so quick to defend her, despite the fact she had been his friend for years now, stuck by him through everything. Lana had only just recently started paying attention to the farm boy with the obvious crush, that Chloe honestly believed the cheerleader was just out to exploit anyway. It sounded mean, and she didn’t like that she felt that way, but since losing The Torch to the girl she thought could’ve been a friend, Chloe took no prisoners where Lana, Clark, or anyone on their side was concerned.

“You know what’s not fair, Clark?” she sighed, turning back to glance at her so-called friends. “The fact that I have been there for the two of you in everything you’ve tried to do, and the moment I have something I could use some support with,” she said, gesturing wildly with the papers in her hand, “where the hell are you?” she asked sadly as she finally turned and left them standing there.

Neither of them ran after her or even called her name, which Chloe was equal parts grateful and mad about. Clark and Pete ought to want to make things right with her, but honestly right now she didn’t want to deal either way. She was nervous enough about her new endeavour and already wondering if she’d been a fool to go along with the suggestion of one man she barely knew and another she’d just met. Acting was quite a leap from journalism, there was nothing to say she would be any good at it; she may not even get a part in the play that extended beyond one or two lines.

Her confidence shot to hell, Chloe wandered down the halls, flipping the pages of her script book at random and wondering what she was really thinking of getting into this. She very seriously considered throwing the pages in the nearest trash can, pleading temporary insanity, and giving up. Her pride wouldn’t really let her do it, she knew, especially after the impassioned speech she just gave to Clark and Pete. Still, she hadn’t the confidence she should have in herself right now, the kind she’d felt when she’d originally been talking to...

“Lex?”

She was stunned to find the very man she had been thinking of right in front of her when she turned the next corner into the empty hall. Standing outside the Principal’s office was the last place she expected to see the billionaire, and though she had appreciated his company last time they’d spoken, Chloe could’ve used him not seeing her as she was right now. What kind of impression she was giving with her sad and angry expression, eyes about to spill tears, she dreaded to think! Still, Lex either didn’t notice the state she was in or was just too polite to mention it as he greeted her with a smile.

“Miss Sullivan... Chloe,” he corrected himself in a moment. “How are you?”

“I’m... Jury’s still out,” she said, waving away his question because she honestly didn’t know how to answer right now. “What are you doing here?” she asked, bluntly as she ever asked anything.

Lex ought to be affronted by her attitude, but honestly it was refreshing. So many people were overly careful in the way they spoke it him and took forever to come to the point, constantly in fear of offending him. Chloe was a breath of fresh her with her no nonsense attitude - he admired that in anyone but particular in one so young.

“As you’re probably aware, Luthorcorp makes certain donations to Smallville High, amongst other institutions,” he explained. “I have a meeting with the Principal.”

Chloe nodded her head in understanding, not realising that whilst Lex had told her no lies, his two statements were mutually exclusive. Donations were often made by the family business, and Principal Kwan was indeed the man Lex had come to see, but the latter had no connection to the former. Still, he didn’t feel the need to explain that to her, at least not right now.

“I was actually taking your advice from before,” Chloe told him then, showing him the pages she still held in her hand. “I’m auditioning for the school production.” She smiled a little too brightly, the expression a forced one that Lex knew only too well from over-use by himself.

“Shakespeare,” he noted as he flipped through the sections of text, “What better way to enhance your vocabulary and understanding of language,” he considered, “Can’t hurt your ambition in writing to read and learn from a great master of the art.”

“Agreed.” She nodded, her smile by now more genuine, “Only problem is, now I have to choose one of these well-written speeches, learn it off by heart, and perform it in front of a room full of people,” she sighed, taking the book back out of his hand. “And that’s just the audition.”

“I have confidence, Chloe, that public speaking will be no problem for you,” Lex told her with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll do credit to Rosalind of As You Like It, Viola of Twelfth Night, perhaps Katherine of Taming of the Shrew?” he suggested various options as he took in the sight of her and tried to place her in the best suited part. “Shakespeare knew how to write a strong female character, even if he did have to hide her inside men’s clothes or behind humorous riddles to make her acceptable.”

“Acceptable?” she echoed with a snort of laughter. “Yeah, well, apparently not only do certain people in this school find me speaking my mind less than acceptable, my so-called friends don’t even think I’ll manage to get past the audition for this play,” she complained, trying to tell herself that Clark and Pete were wrong to laugh at her the way they had, but at the same time equally as afraid that they were right, that she really couldn’t do this.

Lex looked at the young woman before him, trying not to smile at just how adorable she was being right now. He was almost certain it was not her intention, and even more sure she had no idea she was doing it, but Chloe needed support and approval here. She came off entirely independent and sure of herself, something she had doubtless learnt from so many years with just a father to depend on, and with him working as hard as Lex knew he did, Chloe had learnt to stand alone. Still, once in a while everyone needed a helping hand, an encouraging word, a friend, for lack of a better term. Lex would like to say he couldn’t believe Clark didn’t realise this and stand by Chloe in her new endeavour, but honestly he wasn’t so very shocked. Lana Lang was finally paying the farm boy some attention, and teenage hormones far outweighed the bonds of friendship, unfortunately.

“Chloe, I’m certain you don’t need me to tell you that you’re more than capable of this,” he told her anyway. “I have no doubt at all you’ll be captivating in whichever role you are given.” He smiled, a genuine smile that Chloe was sure would’ve been less awkward had it been more often used.

Any picture she ever saw of Lex Luthor showed him looking so serious or wearing a grin so obviously fake it was painful to see. This appeared to be a real expression and meant just for her. Coupled with the unexpected compliment, Chloe could hardly control the blush that rose in her cheeks, as she felt as giddy as the school girl she was but hardly ever behaved like.

“I wish Clark and Pete shared your confidence in me.” She rolled her eyes, looking away as she attempted to maintain control of herself.

Sure, this was Lex Luthor and he was kind of a big deal in Smallville, but she was a town girl, Metropolis born and raised. There was no way she should be so easily embarrassed or even flattered by the billionaire playboy, and she honestly didn’t understand what was happening here. All she knew was the way he was looking at her right now, deliberately or not, was making her forget why she ever considered throwing in the towel on Drama Club before she’d even really began.

“Y’know, Chloe, if I worried about what others thought of me,” Lex told her, his hand running over his head, deliberately or absently, she wasn’t sure which, “I doubt very much I’d be standing here talking to you now,” he explained, his words met with a nod and a smile from the young woman before him.

“Their opinions don’t bother me, not really.” She shrugged, fronting just a little and they both knew it. “Besides, at least I know one person is on my side...” she began and before he had a chance to say a word she continued. “I always believe in myself.” She smiled.

Yes, she had to admit to herself she was kind of angling for him to be the one person supporting her here, but Chloe knew it was a stupid suggestion. Like Lex Luthor really cared about her, and like she’d want or need him to anyway. Geez, he was probably only being nice to her because they were both supposed to be friends of Clark. That and the fact her dad was pretty much Lex’s right hand man these days.

A secretary appeared at that moment to invite Lex in to see Principal Kwan.

“Good luck for your audition, Chloe,” he told her as he turned to go through the office door. “For what it’s worth, I think you easily have what it takes,” he said, kindly or genuinely, even Chloe wasn’t entirely sure as he disappeared from her sight and left her alone once again in the empty halls of Smallville High.

With a genuine grin now plastered on her face, Chloe considered the pages of Shakespeare’s best speeches in her hand and nodded to herself. She could do this, she could learn the words and perform the part and succeed in her endeavour just as she did in all things she put her mind to. Seems there wasn’t just her believing in her abilities, Lex saw them too. Of course, there was every chance he was just being nice but Chloe didn’t think she could believe that. After all, her father had always said Lex Luthor was a good man and a man of his word. He didn’t have to wish her luck or tell her she’d do well in her acting, he could just as easily have said nothing at all.

With a renewed sense of confidence, Chloe headed down the school halls with her head held high, unaware how awkward her little meeting with Lex had made his appointment with the Principal now. There were supposed to be conditions attached to the young Mr Luthor’s latest donation to the school, the promise of new computers and books for both the school newspaper and the library. Lex had a plan on setting up this whole deal that was now moot. Chloe did not need The Torch right now, she had other plans, and Lex liked the idea of her succeeding in her new activity. Having Kwan reinstate her had seemed like the easiest way to make her happy, Lex had thought, until he’d seen the smile on her face when he told her she had his confidence and belief when it came to her acting ability.

No, he would make his donation without strings attached and get the handshake and gratitude he was by now so used to for such apparent generosity. Chloe would never know what he really came here to do today, no-one would, and that was for the best. After all, Lex would not be able to explain his motivations to anybody if they did question him. At this point, he honestly didn’t understand them himself.


	3. Chapter 3

“Nervous?” a voice said in Chloe’s ear and she spun around too fast, almost falling straight into the waiting arms of Paul Danforth.

“Oh, um... no,” she said, whilst nodding her head ‘yes’ and making him chuckle. “This is kind of different for me,” she admitted.

“I’m sure you’ll do great,” he assured her. “I can usually tell, y’know from the way a person looks and behaves, if they’ll make a good actor or not.”

“And I have what it takes?” she checked, finding his attitude intriguing and his smile infectious as they stood there to stage right, speaking quietly to each other as other people rattled off sonnets and soliloquies to wow the Drama teacher and a group of their peers.

“Undoubtedly,” he assured the blonde with a nod. “Y’know Shakespeare wrote plenty of strong young women, he was way ahead of his time.”

“You’re actually the second person to tell me that,” Chloe told him as on the stage a would-be Lady Macbeth screamed and wailed through a speech making them both jump and turn to see the display, “but after reading all the speeches by Rosalind and Viola, I realised something,” she whispered Paul’s way.

“And what’s that?” he asked her curiously.

“That as much strength and gall as these women possess, one less-likely candidate is tougher,” she told him, as ‘Lady Macbeth’ finished her audition and was applauded leaving the stage. “What shows strength of character more than risking everything you have for the person you love most?” she said as her name was called.

Treating Paul to a genuine if not shaky smile, Chloe walked out into the centre of the stage, her script book clutched in her hands still.

“Hi,” she said shakily, squinting against the bright lights, “Er, I’ll be reciting Juliet’s soliloquy from the final act of Romeo & Juliet.”

* * *

Lex was in a world of his own when Victoria found him in his office, staring out of the stained-glass window with a drink in his hand and a thoughtful expression on his face. Whatever he was thinking about, she didn’t like it.

“What’s on your mind, Lex?” she asked, as her hands ran up his back and over his shoulders, her breath tickling his ear as she spoke.

“Shakespeare,” was his simple answer, as he sipped at his drink and kept his eyes forward and body completey unresponsive to what he guessed was supposed to be an alluring touch.

“Shakespeare?” Victoria echoed with amusement in her tone. “Well, that’s not exactly what I expected,” she admitted, as her lips moved against his neck.

Lex tried not to flinch away. He was supposed to be playing Victoria whilst she played him. It was ridiculous really, but he couldn’t screw this up just because she was perhaps the most annoying woman he’d ever met in his life. She was sexy, obviously, with a figure that could drive a man crazy, but she had zero personality and was far from a conversationalist. Hot sex was never to be complained about but when that’s all there is to a relationship, it gets pretty boring pretty fast, Lex knew, and this particular relationship was as fake as the smile he painted on his face as he turned to look at Victoria.

“I need another drink,” he told her, as he carefully moved by her to get to the bar.

She eyed him suspiciously as he got himself another and one for her too, without ever asking if she wanted one. Lex was one of the trickier men Victoria Hardwick had played, but she was sure she could handle the pressure. Today’s odd distraction, whatever it was, was certainly annoying her, but it was nothing she couldn’t overcome.

Lex was never going to reveal exactly what was on his mind, because it was a surprise even to himself that the thoughts were even occurring to him. Of all things, another woman was distracting him from dealing with Victoria, and that woman could barely be given the title in terms of age. Chloe Sullivan, daughter of his Plant Manager, and friend by association with Clark Kent, Lex barely knew who she was until a couple of weeks ago, and now he found himself thinking about her quite often.

When he’d run into her in the street the other day, his only objective was to dry the tears that were marring her quite pretty features, and make her feel a little better about life, if he could.

This, he suspected, came from his own understanding and experience of being hurt by things at school, things that usually no-one of any age would really understand. Besides, helping out a friend of Clark’s seemed like the right thing to do, and by the time he left The Beanery, with the sound of Miss Sullivan’s kind words regarding his reputation ringing sweetly in his ears, and a genuinely warm feeling inside to think he helped her out in some small way, Lex had quite decided he’d made a second new friend from amongst the alumni of Smallville High.

It was odd perhaps to the outside world that a young man of twenty-one would want to be collecting friends and confidantes that were so young, but then Lex really hadn’t had the opportunity of interacting with his own peer group at that age. Most of the boys at his boarding school only ever spoke to him to poke fun or worse.

Shaking his head to clear such deep and meaningful thoughts, Lex still couldn’t help but wonder about Chloe. Her audition was today, this he knew from an announcement on The Torch website which he kept an eye on still, if only to see how screwed up it was getting with Lana at the helm. Chloe was so hurt by her friends betrayal, Lex knew, and he could understand it. After all, so many others had turned their backs on him, or put a knife in his.

Though he wasn’t entirely sure why he should care so very much, Lex genuinely hoped Chloe did well in her new endeavour, if only so she had proof she could achieve more than she thought. She was a very capable young woman, smarter and sassier than most Lex knew, including the one who stood before him now. Faking another smile, he handed a glass to Victoria and let her clink it against his own.

“To us?” she suggested, at which Lex only nodded once and downed his drink fast.

Unfortunately, he doubted he would get the opportunity to find out about Chloe’s audition. It was completely possible he wouldn’t see her again for weeks on end, and with she and Clark apparently at logger heads whilst he was overly distracted by Lana Lang, it was doubtful Lex would even get a chance to mention it in passing to his supposed best friend.

No, Lex had much bigger things to worry about right now. He had to keep Victoria as sweet as possible if this deal with going to come off. That was the only reason he bothered to respond when she moved up close to him, pushing her body against his, her lips against his neck once again. Well, perhaps there were two reasons - he was a man after all.

* * *

It was Saturday morning when Chloe Sullivan walked down the main corridor of the Luthor Mansion, two paces behind a butler/security guard who would take her to see Lex. The billionaire was not expecting her, and she honestly hadn’t expected to be coming here like this, but she had a good reason and she hoped he wouldn’t mind too much.

Just a week ago, Clark would have been Chloe’s first port of call if she wanted to share good news or ask for a favour. Lex Luthor would have been one of the last people she would think to turn to, at least until that day she’d literally run into him in the streets of Smallville.

Friends was a strong word for two people who had shared only a few short conversations so far, but Chloe liked to think there was a possibility of friendship developing between the two of them. She figured Lex wouldn’t object, after all, she knew he had problems making and keeping friends, especially in Smallville. He was a Luthor and as such was judged by the reputation of his father. Lucky for Chloe, she rarely let the opinions of others guide her, but she trusted her fathers judgement. Gabe Sullivan spoke highly of the younger Luthor, and that gave his daughter confidence in Lex being a much better man than he might sometimes appear. He’d proved himself to be a good listener and giver of advice, and so far Chloe couldn’t really find fault with him... until now.

“I’m not interested in your excuses!” Lex boomed into the telephone, as his servant came gingerly into the room with Chloe right behind him.

Before the guy had a chance to change his mind and take her away, the feisty little blonde had pushed past into the office with a big grin on her face, confident that her new-found friend would be happy to see her and want to share her happy news. Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly correct, and she was apparently going to have to deal with a very angry Lex all my herself as the butler/bodyguard who had allowed her to slip past him clearly decided he didn’t fancy facing Lex’s wrath on the subject and exited stage left.

“You have twenty-four hours to clean up the mess you’ve made, or believe me I’ll be cutting off more than you’re funding!” Lex yelled at the poor unfortunate soul on the other end of the line before hanging up with a thump.

“Way to lay down the law,” said the little blonde before him, but Lex was hardly in the mood for such attempts at humour.

“If I wanted sarcastic and barely amusing comments, I’d hire a comedian!” he snapped at her, face like thunder and steely tone to match.

He knew in a second he shouldn’t have done it, anger dissipating as the strange gnaw of guilt set in. It wasn’t an emotion Lex usually felt much, but Chloe was an innocent here and he’d wounded her just because he was having a bad morning.

“Nevermind,” she mumbled, pain in her eyes as she turned to leave just as quickly as she’d entered.

“Chloe, please!” Lex called behind her, on his feet in a second and rushing to get to the door before she did, preventing her walking out. “Look, I’m sorry,” he told her, pushing the door closed just a second after she’d prised it open. “I’m just not having the best day,” he told her as she turned to glance up at him, feeling stupid for being so hurt by his throwaway comment, but she had been convinced he’d be happy for her, that he’d want to hear her good news.

“It doesn’t matter, Lex, seriously.” She shook her head, trying not to be too disappointed. “I probably shouldn’t even have come here, I just thought you might want to know how my audition went but-”

“Of course, I’d love to hear about your audition,” he assured her immediately, ensuring she couldn’t escape as she seemed more than ready to do.

When she looked back at him once more, she found that strangely genuine smile of his infectious and managed a similar look of her own. He’d over-reacted but then maybe she had too. They were as bad as each other, it seemed, but if he was now ready to listen to her, Chloe was too pleased with herself to keep her news quiet.

“I don’t suppose there’s much to tell.” She shrugged, like it didn’t matter as they moved across the office together and sat down at either end of the couch by the fire, facing each other. “Except... and this is the part I really don’t get,” she said, smiling in spite of her apparent confusion, “they kind of gave me the lead role.”

“Well, that’s excellent,” Lex looked entirely enthusiastic at her news, for which Chloe was grateful. “Congratulations.”

“Yeah, except now I actually have to do this,” she said, looking oddly nervous, an expression rarely seen on the face of the usually strong and confident young woman that was Chloe Sullivan. “I have to learn lines and play a part and... and I’m seriously starting to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into,” she said, turning troubled eyes to the man who she would like to call a friend and was proving to be perhaps the oddest choice for a teenage girl’s guidance councillor!

“Well, obviously it’ll be a lot of work, you’ll need to be committed to the project-” he told her, unable to finish as she interrupted him, something Lex wouldn’t usually take kindly to but would forgive from her, perhaps because he knew she meant no harm and was just so caught up in excitement and nerves, she barely knew what she was doing.

“Oh, I’m committed, I am,” she said definitely. “I just... the thing is, Lex, I know you’re busy a lot and you’re most likely going to tell me to go jump off the nearest bridge,” she said, proving her own tendency to over-dramatics right there and then, “but I at least wanted to ask, do you think that sometimes I could come see you here at the mansion?” she asked, not even giving him a chance to even inhale or consider an answer before she rattled on regardless. “You think you could help me out, y’know with my lines and everything? It’s just I’ve been reading through it and the language is beyond even me sometimes-”

“Why me?” Lex interrupted then, eager to have his question spoken before it became lost and irrelevant in all Chloe felt the need to say. “Of all the people in Smallville, your family and friends, why me, Chloe?” he asked her curiously.

After all, whilst her friends had been less than helpful at the beginning of this venture, Lex couldn’t imagine they’d refuse her help if she asked. Of course, her own stubbornness and pride might stop her from even asking them, and when he considered it, Lex realised Gabe would probably be of little help. The man was perhaps the best manager of his plant that Lex could ask for, but it was unlikely he was even as educated as his daughter when it came to literature.

“Well, first off, this whole thing was kind of your idea,” the little blonde told him, her tone just this side of accusing before she continued on a more even keel, “And besides, you’re about as smart and sophisticated as Smallville gets.” She shrugged, leaving Lex wondering if he was supposed to be grateful for the compliment or not.

“Thanks, I think,” he said, a smirk curving his lips, that apparently prompted Chloe to go over her words in her head and realise perhaps she hadn’t phrased that particular sentence in the greatest possible way.

“C’mon, Lex.” She rolled her eyes, hoping to skim over the fact she’d almost messed up, “Who else is going to help me out with Shakespeare?” she asked in earnest. “Clark’s specialist subject is milking cows, and Pete never enjoys reading a book unless it’s subtitled ‘swimsuit edition’,” she explained, just a little bitterness and anger in her voice as she spoke of her so-called friends, deliberately leaving out Lana Lang who she had completely written off as a possibility for the foreseeable.

“That’s a little harsh,” Lex countered, just a little surprised that she would be that way about the only two friends she really seemed to have, but then he ought to remember how cruel teenagers could be and how easily friendships fell apart.

“Maybe, but it’s also more than a little true,” she pointed out to him, losing her resolve just a moment before regaining her strength and focus and continuing. “Look, Lex, I understand if you don’t have time for some lonely teen hanging around your house and all, but-”

“I’ll help you, Chloe, if I can,” he interrupted, actually a little intrigued by this whole thing and oddly almost excited at the prospect too. “What’s the play?”

At that question, Chloe looked almost as if she winced, making Lex wonder what on earth he might’ve gotten himself into.

“Never let it be said that Smallville High doesn’t get its normal on occasionally,” she said, rolling her eyes as she reached into her bag and handed over the book.

Chloe watched Lex’s expression change as he read the cover bearing the play’s title - Romeo and Juliet. Maybe later she would explain to him how this whole thing was actually her own fault.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hey, Chloe!” her so-called friend called behind her a he hurried down the school hall. “Wait up!” 

“What’s up, Clark?” she asked coolly as he reached her side and they walked along together. “Need to laugh at me some more for my new hobby? Well, the joke’s on you, because I got lead in the new school production of Romeo and Juliet,” she said, smiling proudly, feeling she’d almost completely got her own back for the way he and Pete had treated her the other day.

“Chloe, that’s great.” He beamed, apparently pleased for her, but that only made Chloe all the more mad at him for his behaviour before, her anger evident as she huffed and slammed her locker door, before turning to walk on.

“Look I don’t know why you think we’re all against you,” the farmboy tried, only to be snapped at as he ought to have guessed he would be.

“Because that’s how you made me feel, Clark!”

Chloe was still clearly upset about something he didn’t really understand, and that only made her more mad apparently.

“Seriously,” she sighed as she looked up at him and realised arguing on and on was going to prove fruitless, since he was never really going to get why she was even hurt by his actions, “maybe we just need to not spend so much time together right now,” she suggested, pointing at the blood drive forms he held, another favour for Lana Lang, she had no doubt. “It might even be good for our friendship to take a break, not live in each others pockets, y’know?” she said, shrugging her shoulders, just a little sad at her own decision as she turned to walk away.

It was stupid really, she was handing Clark over to Lana on a silver platter by telling him they shouldn’t spend so much time together, something that was coming true long before she made that decision anyway. Fact was, at least Chloe felt she was in control now. By telling Clark to go away and leave her alone for a while, she’d made that choice, it wasn’t being made for her by someone else. With The Torch being taken away, like a rug pulled out from under her feet, Chloe was just now re-finding her balance, and taking control of her life as it went in a new direction. She had friends enough, Paul from Drama Club, and Lex to help her with her new pursuit that he seemed eager to encourage. Clark could be as distracted as he wanted with Miss Lang, and Pete was so busy with football and other girls lately that he barely had time for Chloe anyway, so he would hardly miss her if she allowed herself to get caught up in her new extra-curricular activity.

The idea really did appeal, ensconcing herself in a world of drama and romance for a while. Romeo and Juliet was far removed from her own life in Smallville. Equal amounts of tragedy existed in both perhaps, but she was at least guaranteed a break from meteor freaks in Verona’s fair city.

“Hey, Paul.” She smiled as she spotted him up ahead, so engrossed in whatever he was reading that he almost ran into at least three people before he reached her.

“Hey, yourself, Juliet,” he greeted her, finally giving attention to the living instead of the fictional as he closed his book and fell into step with her as they headed out of the main doors.

“I still don’t know how that happened.” Chloe shook her head, feeling almost embarrassed to have come swooping in and taken lead role in a play she would never have considered auditioning for if not for Lex Luthor, and Paul himself, of course.

“You gave an amazing performance, Chloe,” he assured her as they walked part way down the steps and stopped to sit together. “I think you surprised a few people,” he told her with a smile she found infectious, despite the fact his flattery was making her want to hide her face to save her blushes.

“One of them was me,” she admitted with a chuckle. “God, I don’t know what happened but that speech just spoke to me, and when I started reciting it, I got so caught in the moment,” she told him, as passionate about this as she’d ever been about The Torch or anything.

It had happened to fast, Chloe really couldn’t understand it, and yet it all came down to the same thing, she supposed. Words, writing, expression of oneself, it was what she lived for, what she was made for. Writing stories, being a journalist, she had thought it was the only way to make her feelings known, to express herself in editorials and such. This was a whole new world she was discovering, showing an audience how she felt things, how well she could express herself verbally, albeit through someone else’s words.

“Shakespeare’ll do that for you,” said Paul with a knowing look, almost as if he could read her mind and knew exactly what she was feeling right now. “So I was thinking, I know I’m only Romeo’s understudy, but if you need someone to run lines with or whatever..?” he offered, out of kindness or because he really wanted to, Chloe wasn’t sure which, but she was glad of it all the same.

“Yeah, that would be good.” She smiled, though something suggested to Paul she wasn’t all that into the idea.

It was a shame because, honestly, he really liked Chloe Sullivan. She had spirit and passion, those were qualities Paul Danforth liked in a person. Already they seemed to get along well and he liked the idea of helping her into his world, the world of acting in which he had always known he belonged somehow.

“Don’t sound so enthused,” he said, not meaning any harm, though his sarcasm was evident and Chloe was unlikely to miss it given her own near-constant usage of the same.

“No, I’m not...” she told him, realising immediately she’d said the wrong words, not least because his expression changed to tell her so, “I mean, I am, I just... Start over, Chlo,” she instructed herself as she glanced away and took a breath then looked back at Paul to begin again. “Yeah, so I just feel a little guilty,” she admitted. “I mean, you encouraged me to audition for something you’re really into, then I snag a lead role and you don’t,” she saidn, shrugging her shoulders, knowing she couldn’t give any more explanation than that, and genuinely feeling as bad about it as she said.

Sure, she liked that she was given the part of Juliet, and that it was her very own speech that had managed to sway the Drama Teacher into choosing this particular play, but it did make her feel bad about Paul. He was so into acting, had been for years as far as Chloe could tell, and yet Romeo was cruelly snatched from him, leaving him with the somewhat less impressive role of Paris, and the opportunity to play lead only if something nasty happened to the first choice.

“It’s fine, don’t sweat it,” he assured her, though his disappointment that he tried to hide was always evident to Chloe who could read people like no-one else could (except for maybe, Lex Luthor), “Besides if Scott Mahoney should have a nasty accident of some kind...” he said, apparently picturing the very thing that might befall Smallville High’s latest Romeo, until Chloe’s expression proved she was shocked by his words. “I’m kidding!” he promised her with a chuckle. “But, y’know, not about the running lines thing, if you want to,” he repeated his offer, which Chloe still seemed just a little reluctant to accept.

“Maybe,” she told him. “Honestly, I think I need to put in some serious work before I’m ready for even you to hear me,” she said, all the while thinking it was strange that she should feel uncomfortable about practising her part with Paul, fellow student and drama student extraordinaire, when she’d actively gone to seek out Lex Luthor and ask him the very same favour.

“Don’t believe it for a second,” said Paul as he got to his feet, his attention being called for by a friend across the quad.

Excusing himself, Chloe’s newest friend walked away, leaving her alone on the steps with a smile on her face. Paul Danforth was a nice guy, there was no denying it, and she was glad they’d got to be friends already.

* * *

Chloe had considered leaving Lex alone until at least the weekend, but her brain had started to going into over-drive as she read through her script whilst at the same time mentally calculating how long she had to learn the whole thing. There were large parts that made little or no sense to her, and she wondered what might have been cut or altered for this, the school’s version of the play. It was something she had mentioned to Lex before, and he had offered to lend her a more traditional volume that he had in the mansion’s large library.

Needing a break from her studies and hoping to make more sense and not less out of the book Lex had rather than her own script, Chloe had headed over to the mansion this evening, hoping she would not disturb him too much or make him mad. They were friends now, of course, he’d told her as much on her last visit, so it should be fine.

It was curious to Chloe that despite letting her two best friends slide from her life, she seemed to have quickly gained two more, and once again they were male. Perhaps that wasn’t so weird, given that she had been brought up by only a man for most of her life, and the one girl-friend she had tried to keep had stabbed her in the back first chance she got, but the less said about Lana Lang the better.

As Chloe was shown into the mansion, she was quickly informed that Lex was in his office, and moved down the short hall unescorted after that. It seemed security might be a little lax, but then the expression on the butlers face as he gestured for her to go ahead suggested something else, almost as if he wanted her to see something she shouldn’t.

Entering the office, Chloe obviously expected to see Lex behind his desk, and was mildly stunned to find a woman there instead.

“Oh, hey,” she said.

The brunette quickly clicked a couple of keys on the laptop, pushed down the lid and got to her feet, before Chloe or anyone else had a chance to fully process the fact she had clearly been snooping.

“Um, I was looking for Lex,” said Chloe, with a slightly bemused expression, realising immediately that she had caught this woman doing something she shouldn’t have been.

“And you found him,” Lex himself answered as he entered the room behind Chloe making her jump slightly.

The mystery woman hurried from behind his desk, trying to look innocent.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think you two have been formerly introduced,” continued Lex, as he stood between the young women. “Victoria Hardwick this is Chloe Sullivan,” he introduced, “Miss Hardwick is an old acquaintance of mine, and Chloe is-”

“A new one,” the blonde cut in smartly, if only to further annoy ‘Miss Hardwick’, who was evidently not pleased to be (a) caught in the act of spying on Lex, and (b) proven to be not the only woman in Lex Luthor’s life right now.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” she said, despite the fact Chloe knew she didn’t mean the words or the smile that crossed her lips/ “Lex, darling, I was going to run us a bath,” she said then as she turned towards him, moving her body up close to his. “Will you be long with your... little friend,” she said as she glanced Chloe’s way with a look of distaste that didn’t bother the blonde in the least.

“I might be a while, Victoria,” he told her, noticing the way she was trying to look down on Chloe. “You enjoy your bath, I’ll see you later,” he encouraged her out of the door and away from him.

Though Victoria did leave, she looked far from happy about it, and Chloe couldn’t help the grin that filled her face, a look of triumph despite the fact her plan here and not been to split up the apparent couples' sexy evening of fun.

“Did I interrupt something?” she asked, as innocently as she could manage when Victoria was gone. “As if I didn’t know I had...”

She was rolling her eyes when he looked at her again.

“It’s fine, Chloe, honestly,” he assured her kindly. “Please, don’t feel uncomfortable.”

“I was just wondering if you had that copy of Romeo and Juliet we were talking about,” she checked, still feeling uneasy despite what he’d said. “Y’know, the real version before the school decided us modern kids couldn’t pronounce the words?” she said with a look that made him smile - she was very smart for a fifteen year old, probably a lot smarter than Victoria actually.

“Right this way,” he told her, leading her up the stairs to the balcony above, which held a great many books that left Chloe in awe. “I’m curious though, why the need to get caught up in even more unfamiliar language than is necessary?” Lex asked her as he scanned one shelf a moment and then handed over the volume he’d been looking for.

“I don’t like the idea of taking somebody else’s version of the play and accepting it as all there is,” said Chloe, seeing that to be explanation enough really. “I want the truth; the real words that Shakespeare wanted us to use,” she added, wondering if that would even make sense to him.

“A truthseeker?” he said, looking suitably impressed as he stared at her a moment longer than perhaps he should. “You’re a woman after my own heart, Chloe.”

Chloe honestly wasn’t sure if it was the fact he called her a woman instead of just a girl, or the way he was looking at her right now that had her stuck to the spot with what she guessed was a dumb smile on her face. Lex Luthor was a man of the world and he had found something in common with her, something he liked about her. No-one in their right mind could object to that, or fail to be flattered she was sure, but before she had a chance to say anything else, and wonder any longer on what this moment was about, Chloe was shocked by a scream from down the hall, that had Lex’s attention in a second too.

“Oh my God!” she gasped as she spun around to find he was already half way down the stairs.

“Stay here,” he instructed her, as he glanced back a moment then hurried on.

Weighing up her options for all of three seconds, Chloe was soon running after Lex, Shakespeare book still clutched tightly in her hand as they headed out the door, down the corridor, and up a flight of stairs, towards a second scream.

The eerie glow beyond the bathroom door clearly didn’t phase Lex enough to stop him bursting in and Chloe followed in full truthseeker mode, just as he had called them both.

Victoria was half-conscious in the tub, and Lex raced to pull her out, helping her breathe and covering her modesty as quickly as possible.

“Is she going to be okay?” the blonde asked, concerned only because a fellow human being was in danger.

As she walked forward, she realised she’d stepped on glass from the broken mirror, which further shattered, shooting a piece up into her leg and drawing blood. Her small exclamation of shock and pain took Lex’s attention from Victoria a moment. He laid her down carefully as he came to survey the damage to the other young woman in the room.

“She’ll be fine,” he quickly dismissed Victoria. “Are you okay?” he checked.

“Yeah, I think so.” Chloe nodded as she hopped a little, checking her wound which as thankfully small. “I just...” she stopped short of finishing her sentence or even her thought process, as a cold breeze seemed to pass by her, or possibly even through her. "Did you feel that?” she asked, just a little concerned as she looked behind her and was sure she saw the door move of its own accord.

Lex didn’t answer, and that only worried Chloe all the more.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a few days before Chloe visited the mansion again. She had never in her life imagined that a man such as Lex Luthor could be scared of anything, and yet the look that had passed over his face the other day had certainly resembled it. What had happened had been strange to say the least. People did not drown in baths for no reason, though Chloe did wonder if the whole thing was just a ploy on the part of Lex’s latest attention-seeking girlfriend. In the end, she considered she didn’t seem smart enough to come up with such a plan. Besides which, Victoria faking her own drowning didn’t account for the broken mirror, the general state of disarray in the bathroom as if there’d been a struggle, or the coldness that seemed to pass right through both Lex and Chloe as they stood there by the door.

The thought of it made Chloe shiver even now, but she pushed her fear away. After all, old houses would have their ghosts, be they real or otherwise. That kind of thing barely bothered the girl who had spent the past few years in the leafy little hamlet that was Smallville, full as it was with meteor freaks and various other unexplained phenomena.

Letting herself into Lex’s office on the security’s say so, Chloe was a little surprised to find her friend face down in amongst the couch cushions, apparently searching for something.

“I know that face,” she joked, as she looked at his butt that was sticking in the air.

“The old ones are still the best,” replied Lex as he straightened up and turned to face her, not at all phased by her comment or sudden presence in the room. “It’s good to see you, Chloe, although I have to say I’m a little surprised you came back after the last time.”

“Come on, Lex.” She rolled her eyes in response, watching curiously as he continued to silently search the room with his eyes. “Do I seem like the kind of girl who bolts at the first sign of a little haunting?” she asked, continuing immediately with a second question before he’d even had a chance to take in the first, “and what are you looking for?”

“Still can’t let go of those reporter’s instincts.” Lex smiled as he glanced her way then went right back to his searching. “I lost a watch, a special one,” he explained. “My mother gave it to me before she died.”

“Oh,” was all Chloe could find to say as an answer, since it was hardly what she expected him to say. “Um, you want some help?” she offered but Lex shook his head.

“No, honestly, it’s fine,” he assured her. “It’ll turn up. These things always do."

He waved away her concern though he still seemed a little distracted by his search, even when he turned to face her and spoke again. “Where are my manners?” he asked himself, “How is your leg?”

“Oh, that’s nothing.” She shook her head, almost having forgotten all about her minor injury. “Seriously, Lex, it’s a tiny scratch and it so was not your fault,” she assured him, since he almost looked as if he felt guilty about it. “How’s your friend Veronica?” she asked out of politeness.

Lex knew very well that Chloe knew she had deliberately made a mistake and had only asked after Ms Hardwick so she could use the classic name switch strategy that showed her disapproval of the other woman. It almost suggested Chloe was jealous of Lex’s latest lay, though the young Mr Luthor wasn’t about to take a walk down that particular thought path.

“Victoria is fine, if not a little shaken up,” he explained, trying not to smile at her nerve. “She’s spending a few of days in Metropolis to recover, but she should be coming back tomorrow.”

“Great.” Chloe forced a smile though she really wasn’t happy to know the bitch would be back that fast.

For lack of a better term, Victoria put Chloe’s spidey sense into overdrive, making her hate her for no particular reason. She didn’t trust her somehow, she certainly didn’t think she was good enough for Lex, and though none of this were any of her business, she just really wished the snooty woman would head back to England as fast as possible, and stay there!

“So, I’m guessing you’re here for some kind of rehearsal” said Lex.

Chloe snapped back to the conversation, only to have it over before it hardly began. The office doors swung open and Clark Kent entered with a large box of flowers in his arms.

“Hey, Lex,” he greeted him, without even looking at who he was speaking to yet. “My Mom says if you want any more tulips you’re gonna have to call...” he stopped short of finishing his sentence as he finally glanced up and spotted Chloe stood right by Lex.

“Amsterdam?” she guessed what his next word would’ve been had he got that far, much to Lex’s amusement, as Clark stared agog at his two friends.

“Yeah,” he said flatly, glancing between the pair. “What are you doing here, Chloe?”

“Having a secret affair with the head of security, and you?” she answered smartly, unable to resist a smirk as she watched Clark’s eyes go comically wide, because he really was so dumb he actually believed just exactly what she said!

“And here was I thinking the lure was seeing me,” said Lex smoothly, causing Chloe to look almost as stunned as Clark had been, he just sounded so serious. “I’ll show you where I need the flowers,” he said then as he turned to Clark and gestured out through the other door. “Why don’t you make yourself at home, Chloe, and I’ll be right back.” He smiled as he left.

Alone in the room, Chloe considered taking a seat on the couch when something caught her eye, the row on row of books on the balcony that she’d got close to once but never really had a chance to explore. Lex was unlikely to mind if she browsed what she presumed to be a mere fraction of his library. After all, this was a mansion, he probably had a room full of books in each wing and on every floor.

Walking up the staircase onto the balcony, the books there held her attention only a moment before the view to the office below took Chloe’s attention. Running her hands along the rail she closed her eyes a moment and imagined the most famous of scenes from Romeo and Juliet.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” she declared, getting an attack of the giggles almost immediately.

She felt silly, stood there alone in someone else’s house, proclaiming to an empty room, in words that were so far removed from her own language. Still, she had to learn to be serious about this, like she was that day in her audition. She had to find the character, become Juliet, imagine herself hopelessly in love.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” she began again, eyes closed, picturing in her mind the scene as it should be, reaching within her for the focus and the emotions she needed for this. “Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet,” she spoke, loudly and clearly, as if this were all very real.

Unseen by the door, Lex was a little overwhelmed by Chloe’s apparent passion for the speech. She spoke well, and had clearly learnt this speech off by heart. He saw her in profile from the side entrance to the office, up high on the balcony as Juliet should be, eyes closed and head to the sky that ought to be above her as she continued.

“’Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name!” she said, as desperate as Juliet might have been were this real. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes,” she said, smiling.

Lex did the same as he watched her still, almost hypnotised by the performance she could not know she had an audience for.

“Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself.”

“I take thee at thy word,” said Lex, loud and clear as he strode into the room, not thinking of what he was doing as he spoke the line that followed Chloe’s own. “Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptised,” he told her, as in character as she was as he stood below, looking up at the startled blonde. “Henceforth I never will be Romeo,” he said, with a slight smile as she mirrored that same expression.

Eyes locked and lips curved in twin smiles, the oddest moment past between the miraculously silent teen and the man who ought to know better than this. The whole thing could be quite romantic, but shouldn’t be, Lex knew that better than anyone. He could not afford to have Chloe Sullivan develop a crush on him, it would be the most inappropriate thing, and yet she had seemed all woman reciting those romantic lines. Ironic really, when the character she allowed herself to become was as young as she in reality.

Chloe lost the ability to speak in that moment, something entirely foreign to the girl with an answer for everything. She had been shocked to realise her random performance had gained an audience of one, but her surprise and twinge of anger and embarrassment at the interruption, melted into nothing as Lex spoke Romeo’s lines and stood beneath her, gazing up. He was so convincing in the role, she could almost imagine herself falling in love in a moment, however ridiculous she knew that was.

Though both Lex and Chloe opened their mouths to speak, neither of them actually did so. There was a sound behind her that caught Chloe’s attention and she turned just in time to see movement near the bookcase. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the shelving, that ought to be solid and secure. Again it seemed as if it were rocking somehow.

“Oh my God!” she gasped realising too late that she was in trouble as the bookcase tipped towards her.

Attempting to get out of the way, she barely made it, the full weight of the large piece of furniture and its contents smashing into the rail beside her and crashing through. Chloe lost her grip on the broken rail and suddenly felt herself silently falling. Closing her eyes, she waited for the sickening thud and pain that would come when she made contact with the very solid floor - but it never happened.

Though her landing was not entirely soft, Chloe realised she had not hit the ground and opened her eyes to find Lex staring back at her, his body beneath hers. They were both equally stunned as each other, as books continued to fall around them. Neither knew what was happening here.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, gasping somewhat as he tried to help her up, if only because she was crushing his ribs.

“I think so,” she answered as they heard the glass table above them give way, havoc apparently being reeked along the balcony. “Lex, what’s happening?” she asked as they sat there on the floor together, his arms around her still.

“Lex! Chloe!” Clark called, running a few steps into the room and stopping as he took in their position on the floor.

“We’re fine, Clark,” his friend assured him. “I think Chloe is a little shaken up but...”

“I’ll be fine,” she assured them both as she and Lex scrambled to their feet. “Thanks to you,” she told him with a smile that said it all.

Potentially, he had saved her life just then, though Clark didn’t know that and only wondered how his friends had started liking each other so much without him noticing. The look in Chloe’s eyes right now was not so very far removed from that you might see in a comic book, as some damsel in distress gazed up at a superhero. Clark honestly wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“Whatever just happened, I think it’s over now,” said Lex, tearing his eyes away from Chloe at last, realising that had Clark not been in the room, had the blonde been a little older, had he not changed himself from teenage tearaway to responsible young man... He dare not finish those thoughts. “You two stay here,” he ordered the pair as he headed out into the corridor to find out why his security seemed to have failed him - again!

Though Chloe stayed put in the room, as advised, she was not about to stay still. She wanted to know what the hell had just happened here. She may have given up investigative reporting for an acting gig, but that didn’t stop her curiosity getting the better of her.

As she headed back towards the stairs, Clark called for her to stop.

“Chloe, it could be dangerous,” he warned, but she took no notice even as he appeared to chase after her up onto the damaged balcony.

“Well, somebody was up here,” she said as she looked down on the shards of the shattered glass table, more than one showing signs of blood, and something strangely green too. “What the hell?” she asked as she reached out to touch the substance and reacted with obvious alarm as she could no longer see the tip of her own finger.

“Chloe, think about it,” her so-called friend said from his place crouched beside her. “If somebody covered themselves in this stuff - whatever it is - their whole body would be invisible,” he considered.

“That would explain a lot of things.” Chloe nodded, wiping her fingers on the leg of her pants and glad to see them become visible once again. “And I’m guessing whoever is playing at Casper the Unfriendly Ghost wasn’t looking where he put his feet during the crash and smash,” she gestured towards the obvious traces of blood, before standing up straight and turning to walk away.

“You think we could track down who did this?” Clark asked her, still crouched by the evidence they had found. “I mean, I am helping Lana with the blood drive so...”

“I don’t know, Clark,” Chloe snapped at the mention of the name she still couldn’t quite stand yet. “I’m an actress now, remember?” she told him, barely glancing back. “You and Lana are the investigative reporters,” she reminded him, just a little bitterness in her tone. “Go investigate.”


	6. Chapter 6

“I still think it’s wrong that you didn’t get Romeo,” Chloe said sincerely as she and Paul left rehearsals after school. “I mean, no offence to Scott or anything, he’s great, but I still think you’d be better. You have such a passion for the part.”

“Not that I don’t love you being my one-woman cheer section,” he chuckled, “but you really have to let it go, Chloe. Besides, Paris is a part that makes me think. Everybody’s played Romeo, his story is obvious, I wanna bring a little something new to the other dude, y’know? He didn’t do anything wrong, he just loved a woman who couldn’t love him back.” he shrugged.

Chloe wasn’t sure how to react to that. The way Paul spoke suggested he understood a little too well how his character felt. It would be presumptuous for her to think he liked her that way. Besides, he could not be in pain over a rejection from her, he’d never even asked her out. Like all men in her life, Chloe had come to find she’d gained another friend in Paul. As awful as it might sound, between him and Lex she hardly missed Clark and Pete at all.

‘Think of the devil,’ she thought vaguely as she and Paul passed by The Torch office just as Clark and Lana came barrelling out of the door.

“Chloe! Are you headed to the mansion?” he asked her, the both of them looking entirely panicked about something.

“I wasn’t, why?” she asked, her overwhelming curiousity beating out the fact she was barely speaking to these two after their betrayal.

“Lex could be in trouble,” began Lana, before Clark dutifully picked up the explanation, the four of them moving down the hall together as he spoke.

“The glass we found at the mansion after you and Lex were attacked, the blood on it matched with one of the students who donated for the blood drive.”

“You were attacked?” Paul asked the blonde, only to have her wave away his question.

“I’ll explain later,” she assured him, listening for the rest of what Clark had to say.

“Amy Palmer, she stole the watch Lex was looking for before,” he quickly explained. “She’s obsessed with him and he’s moving them out. Her brother, Jeff, matches the blood type.”

“Oh my God!” was all Chloe could say as she realised what danger Lex could be in. After her own run in with the supposed Invisible Man, she believed him capable of anything, “I’ll follow you to the mansion!” she yelled to Clark as she went for her car, and he and Lana ran to the truck.

Paul was left stood alone as the two vehicles tore out of the school parking lot, one behind the other. Whatever was happening, he hoped Lex was okay. Despite the rumours he’d heard about the Luthors, Chloe spoke very highly of the son at least, and Paul had great respect for her opinion. She had become a good friend in a very short space of time, and he would hate to see her hurt like it seemed she had been previously.

* * *

“You girls go for the front door, tell security that Lex might be in danger,” said Clark as he Chloe and Lana dived out of their vehicles and ran up to the mansion. “I’m gonna check around back, see what I can find,” he said quickly before running away at a little less than super-speed before anyone had a chance to argue with him.

Recognised by security and staff as a regular visitor meant Chloe was paid more attention than Lana might have been. They took her fears very seriously, though they could not understand how an attacker had gotten past them, until Chloe explained he had come from within. She left out the part about Jeff being invisible, it would only make her sound crazy, and right now, with Lex’s life in danger, they’d get further if she was believed to be sane!

It took only a minute for the guards to locate the trouble, the noise of a fight easily giving away the so-called ‘War Room’ as the location of the fracas. Busting open the locked door, two armed security guards rushed ahead of Chloe and Lana, only to find Jeff already out cold on the floor, his visibility returning through a haze of paint that had been poured over his head.

Lana ran straight to Clark, predictable behaviour for the fairy princess and her hero, or so Chloe would’ve thought had she not been entirely distracted by the sight of Lex lying semi-conscious at her feet.

“Lex!” she gasped as she dropped to her knees beside him. “Lex, can you hear me?” she begged him to answer her and at length his eyes flickered open.

“Chloe?” he winced as he brought a hand up to his own head and felt a sizeable bump on it. “What happened?” he asked himself as well as her, trying to recall the events that had led to him ending up on the floor, since it all seemed a little hazy right now.

“You were attacked,” she said as she helped him up, eyes and tone full of concern as she practically threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.

Lex was a little startled by the action, not least because he was groggy from being out of it and quickly recalling events he’d sooner forget as he glanced around the trashed room. Still, it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling to have Chloe there in his arms, holding onto him tightly and letting him know she was more than glad to know he was, for the most part, unharmed.

He hugged her back a moment, admonishing himself for doing so, and then again for thinking there was any wrong in it. They were friends, after all, and friends shared close moments like this. Unfortunately for Lex, he couldn’t quite manage to see it that way in his head. He only hoped he was the only one with wandering romantic thoughts here, or this friendship would have to end quickly, before it ended badly.

* * *

Whilst Clark and Lana had been quick to get home again after their adventure at the mansion, Chloe had no need to rush back to family that would be worried for her. She and Lex both knew that her dad was working late at the plant today, and there was no harm in her staying with him a while longer. Besides, she told him, what kind of friend would she be to leave a guy alone after what he’d been through?

They stood side by side in the corridor of the mansion, as two ambulance men wheeled Jeff Palmer out on a gurney, and Lex’s security dispersed back to where they belonged.

“What do you think’s gonna happen to him?” Chloe asked as the previously invisible boy was taken away.

“A lot of serious therapy,” he told her with a shake of his head. “He actually thought if he could drive Victoria out of the house, I’d realise I loved his sister," he explained, stepping into the doorway of the room where the attack had taken place. “He didn’t seem to understand that Amy is a little young for me. That kind of love could get me arrested.”

Chloe wasn’t sure what to say to that as she hovered behind him a moment. She was just as young as Amy, and yet she didn’t feel like Lex treated her as a child. In legal terms that was all she was, and yet in the company of her older friend, she was allowed to feel his equal. If he treated Amy the same way, it wouldn’t be so very odd for her think she stood a chance with him, Chloe supposed, though she doubted for a moment Lex would have encouraged such a thing.

“Um, how’s your head?” she said, pushing her thoughts aside as she moved into the room beside him and looked around at the devastation caused by Jeff’s attack.

“I’ve survived worse,” said Lex with that trademark smirk that was all his own.

Still, his hand went absently to the bump on the back of his head that throbbed a little even now, despite the pills he had taken to stop it. Stood there, Lex thought about the last few days, all that had happened that was apparently down to Jeff. When he asked him why he had attacked Victoria, Chloe, and himself, the boy had told Lex he didn’t care, didn’t even notice the little people who worked for him. He tried to imply he should love Amy as she loved him, and he’d been honest when he said that loving a child, as she was, would be not just inappropriate but also a crime.

Unbeknownst to Jeff, or Chloe, as she stood here beside him now, Lex was not a stranger to thoughts of such illegality. Whilst he had barely noticed anything about Amy other than her sweet childish manner, he noticed a lot of things about Chloe. She didn’t seem like her friends and fellow students somehow. For one so young, she was entirely quick-witted and intelligent, and never failed to surprise him with the things she said and did.

He admired her more than most women he’d ever met, despite the fact she really wasn’t old enough to hold that title, being as she was only fifteen, at present. She looked older at times, most of the time, in fact, and behaved in no way childishly. As insane as the idea had been for him to love the daughter of his maid, Lex realised, his falling for a girl far too young to be his lover was not the craziest thing he’d ever heard in his life.

“Chloe,” he began then, taking her attention from the weaponry and artwork in the room that seemed to have taken her interest.

“Yeah,” she said, spinning on her heel to face him and wondering at the odd way he was staring at her.

“I, er... I want to apologise,” he said awkwardly, shaking the fuzz out of his mind as best he could and hoping he would be thinking much more clearly in the morning when the effects of his blow to the head were gone. “You never should’ve got mixed up in all of this,” he told her, taking a couple of steps her way and yet somehow mindful of getting too close.

“Lex, I’m fine, honestly,” she assured him.

After all, he had suffered much worse than her in all of this, and had saved her during the events that might’ve caused her harm.

“Attacking Victoria was bad enough, but seeing you as a threat was almost as ridiculous as suggesting I should love Amy,” he explained. “You’re as young as she is,” he told her, as if she didn’t know, and yet he knew he was also reminding himself just as forcefully.

As much as he wished to ensure that Chloe understood they were only ever to be friends, he needed to hammer home the point to himself too. After all, his morals and conscience had gotten away from him all too easily before when he was younger, and he couldn’t have that happen again, especially not here and now, not with Chloe, she didn’t deserve it.

“Crazy people have crazy ideas, I guess.”

She shrugged, waving away the ridiculous suggestion, and yet she couldn’t help but feel just a little stung at being almost cast aside as just another kid. Whether it showed on her face or not, Chloe honestly wasn’t sure, but the way Lex was looking at her now suggested something wasn’t right here. Maybe it was just the effects of the attack making him feel out of it, making him appear different as they stood a few feet apart staring at each other, neither really knowing where they went from here. Theirs was an undefined friendship at best, and talking too long on the appropriateness, or lack of same, of any relationship between them really wasn’t going to lead anywhere good right now.

“So, I should get out of your way, and call Paul actually,” she said suddenly making a move towards the door. “He’s probably worried. I kinda bolted from the school and left him wondering what the hell was happening.”

She laughed almost nervously at herself as she moved to walk by him and out of the door.

Lex only nodded in response as she told him she was so glad he was okay, and that she would see him soon, before rushing away.

Stood alone in the trashed room, Lex couldn’t figure out why a strange trickle of something green felt as if it passed through his heart at the mention of Chloe’s friend, Paul. It happened every time his name came up, and Lex could feel the sneer itching to form on his face whenever the kid he’d never yet met came up in conversation.

Whether the two were friends or more, it was none of Lex’s business. They were school kids running around together, it was the way it was supposed to be, and he the twenty-one year old business man, wouldn’t and couldn’t care about it.

“It’s been a very long day,” he said to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers as he felt a headache forming there, to equal or even outdo the throbbing still at the back of his head. “Things will be clearer in the morning,” he told himself, as he turned to walk out of the room, closing the door on the destruction behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this... and I’ll go to the K-mart and pick up some Cap’n Crunch for breakfast,” she ad-libbed, watching to see if Lex reacted at all - he didn’t. “Lex!” She snapped her fingers in front of his face to re-gain his attention and laughed at the dazed expression he wore even when he returned to reality. “Where did you go?” she asked him curiously, “because you certainly weren’t here with me.”

Lex felt bad for ignoring Chloe. He offered her help learning her lines, she came here ready to be assisted, and all he did was ignore her performance, which would normally have him enthralled. She was quite the actress, which he had never really expected, though he had told her from the beginning he had every belief in her. Today, his mind was just not on the task at hand, as it hadn’t been on and off for the past week. His work shouldn’t suffer and neither should Chloe, but he couldn’t help where his mind wandered to sometimes.

“I’m so sorry, Chloe,” he apologised for the rude way in which he’d ignored her. “I just have a lot of things on my mind, that’s all. I really should have been paying more attention.”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up,” his friend told him kindly, seeing how bad he felt about this. “It’s no big deal,” she assured him, her hand straying to his arm without a thought, “and you know what they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.”

“You don’t need to hear my problems, Chloe,” he told her, smiling still at her sweet offer as he put his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers. “I appreciate the offer though,” he said as he released her hand and got up to fix himself a drink.

“I don’t need to hear but maybe you need to share,” she pointed out as she watched him cross the room. “Despite popular theory, Lex, I have it on good authority that solace cannot be found in the bottom of a shot glass,” she told him, wise beyond her years as ever as he glanced her way and caught sight of the look on her face.

She had a point, she always had a point, but still Lex knew he shouldn’t be spilling his guts to a fifteen year old school girl. Their very friendship could be considered inappropriate from certain angles. How much worse was he making things by making her his confidante?

“You’re well aware of Victoria’s absence,” he said, not looking at her yet, even as he began telling her what she wanted to know.

“You said she was gone.” Chloe nodded once, pullimg her feet up underneath her body and turned to look at him over the back of the couch. “I figured she’d be back before long like the last time but-”

“This time it’s permanent,” he interrupted as he walked back over and sat down heavily beside her, eyeing his second shot of whiskey in the glass. “This time _I_ decided she was leaving.”

“Did she cheat on you?” asked Chloe curiously, wincing a little and wishing she hadn’t asked the question as Lex’s eyes closed and a grimace past over his lips. “I’m sorry, Lex, I shouldn’t’ve asked,” she said awkwardly, knowing once again she had clearly let her curiosity get ahead of her tact that was almost always lacking.

Lex swallowed down his second shot and shook his head

“She didn’t hurt me, Chloe,” he assured her as he leant forward to put the glass down on the table. “It was a game from the start, we both knew it. We just enjoyed the ride 'til it crashed and burned.” He smiled sadly at her, not because he was sorry to lose a woman from his life he really didn’t care about that, but not exactly loving the fact that this was what his life consisted of.

“How can you do that?” the little blonde beside him asked in earnest, elbow on the back of the couch still, head propped on her hand. “How can people fake feelings like that, and for no good reason?” She shook her head, not getting it at all.

Sometimes she was so innocent, reminding Lex what a child she really was, despite the worldly wise way she sometimes spoke and acted.

“There’s always a reason, Chloe,” he told her seriously. “And with Victoria there were two; money and power,” he explained. “She tried to play me, before I had a chance to play her, but she lost.”

“And you won?” his friend asked him, wondering why he looked so pained if that were true.

“You could call it winning,” he said, shrugging a shoulder, “but the images burnt into my brain say otherwise,” he said as he glanced away a moment, realising he couldn’t say this much and stop without another word, not whilst Chloe continued to stare at him in both confusion and intrigue. “Victoria slept with my father,” he said flatly, not surprised by the way Chloe’s mouth dropped open with shock.

“Wow,” she said then, seriously stuck for words, something Lex had scarcely believed were possible.

In an attempt to get away from serious topics that he could no longer stand to talk about, and engage in a happier topic of conversation with the young woman whose company he usually enjoyed so much, Lex made a rough attempt at humour.

“If I knew that was all I had to say to render you speechless, perhaps I should’ve tried sooner,” he teased her, with a smirk she was getting to know very well.

“You’re a jerk, Lex Luthor,” she told him, though the fact she was trying not to laugh proved she wasn’t serious, even as she thwacked him across the arm with the script he’d abandoned on the table a few minutes ago.

“You’re not the first one to say that, and I doubt you’ll be the last,” he said, almost sadly, as he pulled the script from her hand and turned on the couch to face her. “Now, back to what you came here for. Where were we?”

“You were zoning out, while I was falling all over my lines in Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting,” she sighed, reaching to take the script from Lex’s hand and re-read the words that have gone from her mind. “I don’t know why I can’t get it. Paul was going to go over this part with me but...”

“But?” he prompted when she failed to continue.

“I don’t know.” Chloe shrugged her shoulders, eyes on the page still, “We never really got around to it. Last time I was helping him with his lines, for Paris, and in rehearsal we get almost nothing done. The drama teacher is kind of a drama queen.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m surprised you spend so much time with Paul,” said Lex casually as he could manage, as he fought the odd feeling that rose in his chest at the mere mention of the boys name. “I don’t think I’ve heard you mention your actual Romeo more than once,” he noted, watching Chloe as she glanced up quickly and met his eyes.

“Scott’s fine,” she said with shrug, “but he has more than one priority and we don’t get a lot of rehearsal time together,” she explained. “Mr Bronson says it’s a good thing, something about giving a real, fresh performance on the night.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, but honestly, I’m happier practising more with friends before I go putting myself in the hands of a drama student stranger.”

She smiled, an expression she found swiftly returned.

Lex never failed to feel warm and happy when she called him a friend. It was a word seldom heard in the same sentence as his name, and yet Chloe made a point of ensuring he knew she appreciated his being there for her as often as possible.

As they sat there looking at each other in contented silence a moment, Lex realised he had to be the one to break it. It didn’t do for him to let his mind wander on how close he and Chloe could get, and for more than one reason, the greatest of which was ensuring he didn’t allow her to imagine similar things to those that Amy Palmer had believed.

“Okay,” he said suddenly, startling the both of them as he moved away a little and reached for the script that lay on the coffee table. “Where were we?” he asked again, skimming down the page, regretting his action immediately that he realised she was leaning closer into him to point to the paragraph.

“The first meeting,” she noted before moving back to her end of the couch, making Lex feel better for all of two seconds before he realised the line he had to cue her with, and the content of the scene they were about to rehearse.

As if his mind hadn’t been wandering enough in her presence, now he had to contend with acting love and romance with the girl. She was a girl, a child, he had to keep reminding himself, deciding his eyes kept on the page was the best of ideas for the time being as he tried to rattle off Romeo’s first line of the scene with limited emotion.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss”

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,” began Chloe, her soft and meaningful tone catching Lex’s attention in spite of the fact he meant not to glance at her. “Which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,” she smiled softly, lifting her hand and gesturing with her eyes that he was supposed to do the same. “And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss,” she said as their hands came together, just as she’d said.

“Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?” said Lex, attempting to keep to reading only the words, flatly and without emotion, but he failed miserably at it.

“Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer,” responded Chloe, making her friend wince on the inside as he realised where this scene was headed.

“O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair,” he read aloud, eyes mostly on the page though they had no need to be there.

Focusing on the written words was far easier than keeping eye contact with Chloe as she edged forward a little on the couch, even a she spoke a line that denied it.

“Saints do not move,” she said softly, “though grant for prayers’ sake”

“Then move not,” he replied, eyes flitting between her own and her lips, “while my prayer’s effect I take,” he said, leaning in slowly, knowing he was a fool if he kissed her and yet he had the excuse that it was at least in the script.

Chloe couldn’t breathe as she realised what as happening. Of course she knew the next action in the scene was a kiss, but she honestly hadn’t thought Lex would go for it. She trusted he wasn’t trying to take advantage, and purely approaching this from an acting standpoint. That was what she was doing, after all. She told herself this anyway, trying to keep control of the fluttering butterflies inside of her as Lex’s lips came within a hairs breadth of her own.

“Excuse me, Mr Luthor?”

The voice of a man at the door startled the pair away from each other in an instant, and both Chloe and Lex turned to see a butler type stood there, clearing his throat and looking awkward.

“Mr Sullivan is here to pick up his daughter.”

“I don’t understand.” Chloe frowned at that particular news, the moment she and Lex had almost shared being pushed aside in a second. “I drove myself here, why would he come pick me up?” She shook her head in confusion as she scrambled to her feet.

“Perhaps you should go talk to him.” Lex waved a hand in a gesture that ushered her out of the door as quickly as possible.

When she was gone, and the butler with her, Lex sat alone in the room, elbows rested on his knees and hands clutching his head as he tried to take in what he had almost just done. He was such a fool, messing around like this with a fifteen year old girl. He was some kind of sick bastard, he had to be, and yet in that moment, all he’d wanted to do was kiss her. It felt so right, so natural, despite the fact it was just about as wrong as anything could ever be.

Lex briefly considered another drink, but it was still early in the day. Besides, if Chloe did decide to stay longer and wanted to continue rehearsals, alcohol would only further fog his mind and lead him to doing something even more stupid. As if almost kissing Chloe Sullivan, fifteen year old daughter of his plant manager, wasn’t stupid enough!

“Dad, no way!”

The voice of the girl in question could suddenly be heard echoing through the hallways of the mansion and Lex frowned at her tone and words as she continued, over the top of Gabe as he tried to calm her down.

“Baby, please listen-”

“No, Dad, you cannot do this to me! Not now!”

Going over to the door, Lex opened it a little and peered out into the corridor where the Sullivans could be seen as clearly as he had heard them just a moment ago. Chloe looked upset. Honestly, so did Gabe, and Lex couldn’t understand what had happened between father and daughter that were usually so close. Curiosity getting the better of him, Lex strode out of his office and towards the pair.

“Gabe, I’m sorry I missed our meeting at the plant yesterday.” he apologised, deciding it was as good an opener as any as he approached the man and reached to shake his hand. “Things got a little busy elsewhere.”

“Mr Luthor, I’m sorry to cause such a disturbance in your home,” he apologised himself, as Chloe, who stood by the window with her back to the two men, huffed indignantly still.

“First of all, Gabe, it’s Lex when we’re out of working hours.” Lex smiled amiably. “And secondly, is there anything I can help with here? You both seem a little upset about something.”

“He wants me to go away, Lex,” said Chloe, spinning to face them and looking equal parts angry and upset about what ever was happening. “He wants me to go away now, right in the middle of rehearsals and school... It’ll ruin everything!”

“Chloe, my aunt is sick, she doesn’t have anyone else to take care of her,” her father reminded her, before turning to Lex with a sigh. “Mr Luthor... Lex, I’m so sorry about this. I also need to talk to you about taking a little time off. I know it’s short notice but-”

“Gabe, if you have a relative that’s in need, I’m sure we can work something out,” he said helpfully. “Besides, I’ve not known you take a days sickness or leave since I took over the factory, your time keeping and conduct is exemplary. I’m sure we can make arrangements for you to take as much time as you need,” he said, smiling amiably.

“Thank you so much, Lex,” he said, grabbing his hand and shaking it a little over-enthusiastically. “And Chloe, honey, I’m sure we can work something out with school too.”

“I don’t want to work it out, Dad,” she insisted, tears coming to her eyes out of pure frustration at him for not understanding her, that Lex saw immediately. “I have no reason to go see Great Aunt Maud. She doesn’t even like me. I’m fifteen years old for God sakes, I can stay home alone.”

“No,” was her fathers immediate response/ “No, you cannot, but we are not discussing this here anymore,” he said, looking sideways at Lex, “This is not the place.”

“Perhaps this is exactly the place,” the young billionaire found himself saying before the idea in his head had been completely and properly thought through. “Gabe, might I suggest, if the idea of Chloe being home alone concerns you, and being taken out of school worries Chloe, maybe the compromise is for her to stay here at the mansion?” he offered. “There is always someone here. If not myself then plenty of staff to ensure she has everything she needs.”

“Oh, no, we couldn’t possibly impose on you.” Gabe quickly shook his head, feeling even more awkward now if it were possible.

“Dad, Lex is offering. It wouldn’t be an imposition,” said Chloe, with a grin that she was trying to keep down to a dull roar - she clearly loved this idea!

“Lex, are you sure you want a teenager running around the house?” asked Gabe, at which the younger man chuckled.

“Gabe, Chloe has proven herself to be responsible and respectful every time she has visited me here,” he assured the girl’s father. “So long as there’s no skateboarding down the banister rails, I think we’ll get along just fine.” He smirked in Chloe’s general direction and she rolled her eyes at the remark.

“Darn, because that’s just what I had in mind,” she faked disappointment, a hint of the very same smirk he wore pushing through her mock-sad expression.

Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.


	8. Chapter 8

Lex was an idiot. It was a conclusion he had come to quite easily and multiple times in the past few days, starting with the moment when he turned to Gabe Sullivan and made a full and frank offer for Chloe to stay at the mansion for an indefinite amount of time. Of course, it wasn’t so much the offer of hospitality that made him stupid, more the fact that he’d already made the decision that spending more time with Chloe would not be advisable, and then in the very next moment suggested she come live at his house!

There was no reason he could actually give why they shouldn’t be in the mansion together, be it alone or otherwise, but he knew only too well the problems that it caused. He feared she might be developing a crush of some sort on him, but that was only half the story, because Lex knew if she were just a couple of years older, hell, maybe even just a few months, he’d be having feelings for her too. As it was, he locked those thoughts and emotions away in a far corner of his head and heart, and concentrated on being a friend and mentor to the girl. She was a girl after all, a child even, but not a woman he should be looking at in such a way.

Unfortunately, Chloe was either oblivious to his problem with the situation or she enjoyed making him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to accuse her of the latter but he couldn’t really believe for a moment she was so naive that she didn’t see. She was obviously attractive, though he doubted she was aware of that, since no-one ever bothered to tell her, but she knew her mind was sharp and her wit was too. She was almost his equal in banter and ‘verbal judo’ as he’d once called it when they were caught up in a battle of words.

Rehearsing scenes for Romeo and Juliet with her was less than ideal, but Lex had made her a promise and did his best to keep it. This past week since she’d moved into the mansion, he really did have some extra work to do, with Gabe away. Still, Lex knew he could have found someone else to pick up the slack, one of his many minions. Instead, he had taken on the extra paperwork, worked the extra hours, in an attempt to keep out of Chloe’s way.

It wasn’t something Lex was particularly proud of or pleased about. He enjoyed Chloe’s company, and he couldn’t say that about many people at all, and yet he felt the need to keep his distance as much as possible. It was ridiculous. He was an adult, surely he could keep her at arm's length whilst still being in the same room as her, and if anything happened he could stop it. This he told himself a hundred times over, but could never quite make himself believe. No matter now great Lex’s resolve about things seemed to be, he couldn’t be so sure that if Chloe actually kissed him, he wouldn’t be tempted to kiss her back, or more.

A girlish giggle from one of the many living rooms in the house caught Lex’s attention from the hallway as he returned from work this evening. Peering in through the half-opened door, he spotted Chloe wandering around the room, barefoot and in sweats, talking on her cell to someone. With her back to the doo, she had no idea he was there, and Lex knew he should make his presence known or walk away and leave her to her private conversation, but he did neither.

“I’m pretty sure Lex wouldn’t care if you came over, Paul,” she told him. “This place is so big, he probably wouldn’t even notice you’d ever been here.”

Lex stood still, watching and listening, almost unaware of the sneer settling on his own face when he realised Chloe was talking to her drama club buddy and even inviting him to the mansion.

It was ridiculous, he should want Chloe to have other friends, to be happy in school. After all, they were supposed to be good friends themselves, and that ought to mean he wanted the best for her, but Lex was a Luthor and as such a somewhat selfish man, no matter how much he tried to be different. Inside, a part of him screamed that Chloe was his friend first and should not be anyone elses, however childish he knew that would be in reality.

“He’s been kind of busy lately,” continued Chloe, snapping Lex from deep thoughts and back to the scene at hand. “Scott keeps sighting girlfriend troubles and family stuff as reasons not to rehearse, so Juliet is kind of lonely in her ivory tower right now,” she sighed as she flopped down into the couch cushions, gazing out of the large window beyond, thankfully for Lex still with her back to the door.

It hurt to hear her sound so lonely, to realise that having her move in then refuse to spend any significant amount of time with her was like condemning her to solitude. Lex knew how that worked, and he never meant to do that to Chloe.

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she assured Paul, who was evidently worried about her too. “I’m just worried about screwing up. The big night is just a few weeks away and I guess... Well, I suppose I’m a little nervous.”

It took a lot for her to admit to that weakness, or any other emotion she considered to be that, Lex knew. Of course she was worried about her performance, this was new ground for her. Writing, reporting, investigating, those things were what she knew and what she was confident in. Now she was out of her comfort zone, and pleased to be trying something new, as far as Lex could tell. Still, she was bound to have her concerns, and Lex had wondered if she would give up on the whole thing by now to go back to The Torch. He was quite proud of the fact she hadn’t given in, and ought to have known she wouldn’t’ve. She had admitted a few days ago that she was at the very least going to wait until Clark and Lana had run the paper into the ground before she even considered playing hero and saving everything. It was the same day she had snuck into The Torch office and removed everything of hers she had left behind. After all, as she had correctly pointed out, Clark and Lana must be using resources and contacts of hers to solve their little mysteries. The whole blood analysis thing in the invisible boy case told her that much!

“Okay, I guess I’ll see you at school,” said Chloe then.

Lex snapped back to reality once again as he realised there was every chance she would now turn around and realise he had been effectively spying on her. Still, he didn’t move, didn’t say a word, just watched her as she crossed the room and poured herself a glass of water. She looked thoughtfully at it in her hand a moment, and then began to speak.

“What if it be a poison, which the friar subtly hath minister'd to have me dead. Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd, because he married me before to Romeo?”

The words of Shakespeare came from her lips as naturally as any other words it seemed, her speech carefully learnt over the past weeks. Lex was mesmerised by her as she became Juliet, as impassioned and serious in her speech as he had seen any woman. He might have considered telling her he was there, but interrupting her seemed wrong when she was doing so well. Besides which, Lex was quite hypnotised by the performance.

“O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught? Envisioned with all these hideous fears? And madly play with my forefather's joints? And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud? And, in this rage, with some great kinsman's bone, as with a club, dash out my desperate brains? O, look! methinks I see my cousin's ghost, seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body upon a rapier's point: stay, Tybalt, stay! Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee.” Chloe ended with the drama the scene deserved, bringing the glass to her lips for a moment, and taking just a moment to place it onto the coffee table, then dropping herself onto the couch as if dead. She lay still but a moment, before she were startled by Lex applauding her performance when he walked into the room.

“How long were you there?” she asked with an accusatory stare, not liking the idea that he would spy on her like that.

“Long enough to know that you have nothing to worry about with regard to your performance,” he told her kindly, hoping his compliment - which was by no means contrived - would smooth over the fact he’d practically sneaked up on her.

Chloe coloured slightly at his words, not really expecting him to say such a thing. He had such confidence in her, as Paul did, much more than she often had in herself when it came to her new venture. She was loving the experience, but it didn’t stop the nerves creeping in each and every time she thought of the upcoming performance that edged closer and closer.

“Well, I guess I should get used the whole audience thing.” She shrugged, as they both sat down on the couch, the way he landed so heavily making her frown. “How come you’re home so late again?” she asked as she noted the time on the clock across the room.

“Let’s just say that on your father’s return I may have to consider giving him a raise.” Lex smiled, even as his head went further back into the cushions and he closed his tired eyes a moment - it really had been a very long day.

“That’s better to hear than ‘I just realised I can cope without your dad’,” was Chloe’s response as she curled her body up at the other end of the couch and laid her head sideways on the cushion, watching Lex.

He looked different like this, when he was relaxed in his own home. To the outside world, he was all power and business. People saw him as hard and almost evil sometimes. Chloe never could paint him in such a bad light, not with her father singing his praises so much. Now she’d got to know him so well, they’d become such good friends, Chloe wondered why more people were not prepared to try and see past the reputation and facade.

“Now who is playing impromptu audience?” He smirked, opening one eye and looking across at her then, having felt her stare even when he couldn’t see her.

“Sorry,” she immediately apologised, hardly realising what she’d been doing. “I was just thinking... You’ve been a really good friend, Lex. I’m glad it was you I ran into that day at the coffee shop.”

“So am I” he told her, returning her smile, though as he moved to talk to her something in his back protested and he visibly winced.

“Okay, I’m no doctor, but that didn’t look good,” she said with concern.

Lex righted himself and put a hand to over his shoulder.

“It’s nothing,” he told her, getting used to the knots he often had through tensing up too much in a day of stressful business.

“Nothing doesn’t cause that expression,” insisted Chloe as she moved to help him take off the jacket he was struggling just a little to remove. “Here, I can help with that,” she said, not meaning just that apparently as she moved up close behind him on her knees and put both hands to his shoulders, attempting to massage the day’s strain away.

Lex thought about stopping her, honestly he did, but once she started and it felt so good, he just couldn’t find the words to do so. He had a masseuse, in fact he had several he could call, and some would do more than others for him, but Lex couldn’t think rationally, as Chloe’s hands moved over his shoulders and down his back.

Whether she knew exactly what she was doing or not was irrelevant, and it wasn’t just the unknotting of muscles that she was achieving, though Lex knew he could never tell her that. To Chloe, this was clearly a friend helping out a friend. Lex was sure she would have made it clear by now if she believed there was anything else between them. Whilst that gave him some comfort, there was a part of him that was strangely disappointed that Chloe didn’t want him that way. It could never happen, it would never happen, he insisted, albeit inside his own head that battled one side against the other most of the time. Still, these thoughts and all others were drifting away to nothingness at the feel of Chloe’s fingers through the thin material of his shirt.

“Feeling better?” she asked, and Lex had a hundred answers to that which he could never give.

In the end, a sound that seemed to be affirmative escaped his lips but that was all he dared to let out for fear of what might happen if he said anything else.

Chloe herself was oblivious to what he was feeling and only of the way her own heart was pounding. It was ridiculous, they weren’t doing anything, and nothing was ever going to happen between them. This was just a friend thing, she was helping him out in a time of a stress. She’d do the same kind of thing for her dad and think nothing of it, but this was very different. Lex wasn’t her brother or anything, and though he was a friend, he was also an attractive man. More than attractive. Chloe tried not to notice, tried to remind herself often that he wouldn’t be interested in her and she shouldn’t be interested in him, but at times like this, it was easy to let her mind wander, to consider how it would feel to touch a little more than this, if he returned the favour...

A loud crash from a room down the hall put paid to the moment of quiet musing for the both of them.

“Okay, what the hell was that?” said Chloe, as she and Lex both looked around at the strange sound.

“Stay here,” he said in response, as he got up and moved quickly towards the door.

“Yeah, right!” she scoffed, following close behind. “You didn’t learn by now that doesn’t work with me,” she hissed in a low voice, mindful of being heard by any intruders that may be in the hall.

Lex was infuriated by her attitude, as well as their time together being interrupted, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that or argue with Chloe right now. Instead, he just ensured she stayed behind him as they edged down the hall towards his own office, from where voices could now be heard.

The pair had barely reached the door when it came flying open and three men dressed in black barged out, carrying bags that Chloe could only assume contained expensive artefacts they were trying to steal. Seeing they had been caught and panicking, one shoved Lex back before taking off down the hall. Chloe managed to dodge away just in time to save being crushed by her friend as he went down, and she went in for her own attack, a statuette from a nearby display clasped in her hands. Though she got the thing over her head ready to hit any of the burglars that came her way, she hadn’t banked on needing to take on two at once.

As she made to strike, the man behind her pulled her away from his accomplice, causing her to drop the stone figure she’d held. The man in black threw her aside, eager to get away before Lex got up from the ground and attacked again.

Chloe’s scream took all the attention, and Lex was forced to let the intruders get away as he ran towards her. He wasn’t fast enough as she went crashing through the stained glass window.

“Chloe!” he yelled behind her, grabbing for her as she fell, her fingers slipping through his as she plummeted to the ground before his eyes and landed with a sickening thump on the ground below.


	9. Chapter 9

Lex Luthor hated hospitals. He’d spent too much time in them over the years, through his own actions as well as those of others, plus a few things that were the fault of nobody in particulars. His mother's death came back to him most particularly whenever he smelled the familiar scents of disinfectant and such that the hospital brought to his nose. Still, he was strong enough to face his fears these days, and he had a good reason to need to.

In the bed beside him, Chloe lay still and quiet. It was a few hours now since they’d been brought in by the ambulance, her barely conscious and Lex determined she be dealt with and made comfortable before he would even allow a doctor to check him for injuries. As it was, he had only cuts and bruises from the fight they’d landed up in when trying to stop a robbery at the mansion. It was Chloe who had really suffered, and the guilt that washed over Lex as he sat there by her hospital bed made him feel sick to the core. If not for him, she wouldn’t’ve been in his home at all, wouldn’t’ve been put in this awful situation. Now she had a badly sprained wrist to deal with, a black eye marring her pretty face, and a concussion that was thankfully not as bad as it could’ve been. He should have called Gabe by now and told him what had happened, but Lex had to be selfish just a little while longer. He wanted to spend a little time with Chloe when she woke, just a few moments, then he would call Gabe, late on the pretext that he was waiting for concrete answers on Chloe’s condition before he told her father anything.

Reaching out to take her uninjured hand in his, Lex sighed.

“Chloe, I am so sorry,” he told her in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “I should’ve taken better care of you whilst you were in my home, but I never imagined...”

She stirred then, making him stop short of finishing his sentence. Whether his voice had brought her round, or the feel of his fingers holding hers, Lex wasn’t sure. The whole thing might’ve been a coincidence, but it really didn’t matter. All that mattered to Lex was that she was waking up, and hopefully she wouldn’t hate him for what had happened tonight.

“Lex?” she rasped, immediately prompting him to let go of her hand and grab the glass of water from the nightstand, pushing the straw towards her lips. “Thanks.”

She smiled after a few sips, though even that seemed to take more energy than she wanted to waste.

“Chloe, I’m so sorry,” he repeated, now she was definitely able to hear. “I didn’t-”

“Lex, please, don’t,” she urged him, trying to reach for his nearby hand and glad when he moved and made it easier for her. “This wasn’t your fault, if anything it was mine,” she told him. “I seem to remember you telling me to stay out of the way.”

“That’s not the point” insisted Lex, thumb absently rubbing the back of her hand. “When I saw you get pushed towards the window...”

“Please, don’t remind me,” she urged him, trying to push the frightening images from her mind of the ground racing up to meet her. “I’m just glad I didn’t hurt myself too badly, I’d hate to ruin the play.”

Lex smiled at that, a little in awe of the girl before him. She might only be fifteen, but she was so very much an adult in his eyes. She was willing to help him fight off attackers. She took falling several floors to the ground in her stride. She graciously accepted his apology that she insisted she did not need, and after all this was most concerned about letting down others.

“You’re a remarkable young woman, Chloe Sullivan,” he told her, without thinking about what he was really saying.

It was only when she coloured at his compliment that he started to wonder if he should have kept his mouth shut. Lex was a fool to let this incident bring himself and Chloe too close, though honestly it was hard to help himself. A romantic relationship would obviously be wrong on so many levels, but he found their friendship addictive. She was fast becoming an even more valued confidante than Clark. Since the boy had been so busy with Lana and The Torch, he really hadn’t seen much of him. Besides, a farm boy and a billionaire hardly had much in common, and whilst it might seem to the outside world that he would perhaps have even less in common with an ex-reporter/would-be actress, they really did find an awful lot to talk about.

Both were city kids originally, both smarter than the average, quick-witted, and always out to find the truth of everything. If only their situation were different, Lex was almost certain they’d be perfect together. The irony was not lost on him that they had begun spending so much time together because of a production of Romeo and Juliet, another couple with far too many problems standing between them and happiness.

“So, they tell you how long before I can get out of here?” she asked then, breaking a train of thought most likely best left alone for Lex.

“The doctor said they need to keep you in at least twenty-four hours because you hit your head,” he explained.

Chloe sighed.

“Great, boredom city,” she said, closing her eyes and imagining just how awful it would be, lying there staring at four walls and a ceiling.

“It’s probably safer than the mansion,” he told her. “In fact, I was thinking, perhaps when you’re discharged we should speak to the Kents about you moving into the farm, or maybe I could call Gabe-”

“Why would you do that?” she asked, sitting up quickly at the same time and making her head swim violently.

Swallowing hard, Chloe lay her head back down and waited a moment for the dizzy feeling to subside before she opened her eyes again, looking to Lex for an answer to her question.

“Chloe, after what happened to you, you can’t want to stay at the mansion.” He shook his head but the determined look on her face proved him wrong as he ought to have known it would.

“Lex, in case you haven’t noticed, bad things happen all over Smallville,” she reminded him. “Besides lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place.”

“I beg to differ,” he pointed out. “This is the second fall you’ve had in the past month. You were lucky not to get more seriously hurt the last time, and now...”

“And now, I have a sprain and some bruises, and a head that spins like a top,” she cut in, “but these things never slowed me down before, and they won’t now,” she said, with determination. “I’m not afraid to be in your house, Lex, and I will not let some bully-type thieves keep me away from one of my best friends,” she said indignantly.

Honestly, Lex couldn’t react to any of the words she said before the last two. It was that simple phrase ‘best friend’ that stuck in his head and refused to budge. The smile that appeared on his face was completely unplanned and unintentional, but it was there almost without his knowledge, and didn’t seem to want to move any time soon.

Lex wasn’t sure he’d been called a best friend, or even a friend, since early on in his school years. Now here was Chloe - beautiful, smart, special Chloe - telling him he mattered much more to her right now than perhaps even her own safety.

“This is the drugs talking right?” he said, smile shifting to a smirk as he looked down at her.

“How is it possible for you to have a superiority complex and an inferiority complex at the same time?” she asked him with a similar look on her face now. “Lex Luthor you are possibly the most complicated friend I have,” she reiterated the term, not at all embarrassed to have used it or to repeat it, “but I refuse to argue with you about this. I want to come back to the mansion, just as soon as they’ll let me out of this overly-hygienic prison, and I want to help you catch those criminals too,” she told him with tone and expression both that dared him to argue, which he did anyway.

“I think maybe you should let me worry about that,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “Although, I do appreciate the offer.”

“I’m still moving back in when this place lets me go,” she said, just a little grumpy at being cut out of the crime solving, despite the fact she’d exchanged her investigative reporter role for Juliet Capulet months ago now - old habits died hard.

“If you insist, Chloe, then you know you’ll be more than welcome in my home,” Lex assured her with a warm smile that she was pretty sure he only reserved for special people and moments, at least she liked to think so.

“Hey,” said a voice from the door, accompanied by a light tap on the glass. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” Chloe grinned at the sight of Paul, welcoming him in to come sit on the other side of the bed.

With no other chair available, the young man chose a spot on the edge of the bed itself, making Lex’s face twist into a sneer all of its own accord. Nobody noticed, and that only made matters worse some how.

“I felt bad about leaving you to rehearse alone last night, so I came over to the mansion this morning, complete with coffee, to apologise,” explained Paul, looking genuinely concerned for his friend, and that only made Lex feel more annoyed somehow. “When I got there it was chaos. I heard people talking about a robbery and you guys being at the hospital so I came straight over.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” said Chloe gratefully. “And you’re totally forgiven,” she assured him with a smile, by which point Lex couldn’t take it any more.

“I’m going to call your father, Chloe,” he told her, “but don’t worry, I’ll make sure he understands you’re going to be fine and that he doesn’t need to panic or come racing back here... unless you want him to?”

“No, Lex, please don’t let him do that,” she urged him, squeezing his hand before he finally got up and let go. “I really appreciate everything.” She smiled, an expression he returned just briefly before shooting a much nastier look at Paul and striding out of the room.

“Yeah, why do I get the feeling that guy really doesn’t like me?” Paul sighed, looking over his shoulder at the now closed door through which Lex had passed a moment ago.

“Lex is just... he has trouble making friends,” Chloe tried to explain. “He’s probably just wary of you because he doesn’t know you so well,” she said, with a yawn she wasn’t expecting to escape.

“Maybe,” Paul conceded, though honestly he had a number of other ideas that he thought might be closer to the mark, he kept them too himself right now, “but anyway, how are you feeling?”

Outside the hospital room, Lex watched the young friends talking and tried to calm the twisting feeling in his gut. It wasn’t that he had any reason to think badly of Paul Danforth. He didn’t even know the guy, and the background check he ran on him and his family proved they were decent, law-abiding citizens, nothing to be concerned about. That was what bothered Lex, much more than if he had actually found out something suspicious about the boy. The fact was, he had no evidence upon which to base his complete dislike of Paul. The only possible explanation was jealousy, and that was ridiculous.

Lex was old enough and wise enough to know that a person could have many friends and still feel the same amount of affection for the first made as the last. This wasn’t the school yard, though the other two people in this situation still attended high school. Besides, it wasn’t as if Chloe were tied to him in any way. She wasn’t his girlfriend and never could be, for a hundred reasons that traipsed through his head on a daily basis, and quite deliberately. It was far too easy, Lex found, to let his mind wander down a very wrong and twisted path if he didn’t constantly remind himself of the dangers.

It was strange. Before this, Chloe was quite clearly obsessed with Clark, but that never bothered Lex. Perhaps because he didn’t know Chloe very well then, or more likely because Clark was so oblivious to the blonde’s desires and completely wrapped up in the raven-haired beauty that was Lana Lang. The fact of the matter was, whenever it had begun was immaterial. Somewhere along the line, Lex and Chloe had become very good friends, and though fear was not something he gave into often, he was afraid of losing her, either to another friend, or to a boyfriend, which it seemed quite clear Paul could easily become.

Angry at himself for letting the green-eyed monster get under his skin in any form, Lex turned away from the scene and headed out of the hospital. He still needed to call Gabe, and then he had a project that would direct his energies far better than seething over a pair of high schoolers and their possible budding romance. Chloe had got hurt tonight and that was not good enough. Somebody needed to pay for that, and Lex Luthor was going to collect.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a week since the Luthor Mansion fell victim to thieves, and everything was almost back to a state of normalcy. In just seven days, Lex had the criminals easily apprehended, his items back in his vault, and those who would wrong him made to suffer. Chloe had asked about it, how the police had tracked the burglaries so easily, how Lex had managed to get every bit of his expensive stuff back when she assumed it would have been sold on immediately for the cash it could bring. Lex explained as little as he could to her, though he knew that even at fifteen she was smarter than most people his age and older. She wasn’t blind or stupid, she knew he never called the police, because if he had they would want to speak to her as a witness and victim both. No, he had people far more powerful than the Smallville Sheriff at his disposal, and they had the mansion back as it had been before Chloe even got home from the hospital.

A week on, her bruises were almost healed, and only the sling holding her arm in place gave away the fact she’d ever taken that fall. Still, Lex could not get the image out of his mind, or his nightmares. He was haunted by the sight of Chloe tumbling from his grasp, straight out of the window, and striking the ground with a sickening thump. He should have saved her, but it was too late to change that now. What he could do was ensure those that had caused her pain would suffer far worse than she. If there was one thing that Luthors excelled at it was revenge, and Lex’s had been exacted on the idiots who not only took his possessions from him, but dared to lay a hand on one of the few people who actually mattered to him.

Sitting back in his seat, Lex realised he was going to get no work done today. His mind was otherwise engaged and mostly with Chloe Sullivan. Today was the day she went home, back to the safety of her own house and away from him. Gabe’s plane would be landing within the hour, and a limo sent by Lex himself would be bringing the man back to Smallville, picking up Chloe from the mansion enroute to Casa de Sullivan.

It would be so strange not having her around, Lex realised, and he would miss her a lot, despite the fact when she had been here he spent at least half his time trying to avoid her. Temptation was a dangerous thing, and though he could congratulate himself on not giving in yet, there was always that chance lingering on the horizon.

It seemed Chloe was oblivious to the inner battle that went on inside Lex almost daily, and particularly when they were caught up in the moment, rehearsing her lines for Romeo and Juliet. Of course, another thing Luthors did well was hide their feelings, and so Lex continued his friendship-only relationship with the little blonde, the poor girl apparently oblivious to the things he never said and did, but thought of more often than he ought to.

Today was the last day that the guest room on the second floor would be Chloe’s own, and yet Lex was sure he would always see it as hers. Indeed, he had told her as much, saying if she ever needed somewhere to go in a crisis, she was always very welcome in his home. It was an idiotic offer to make given the circumstances, and Lex knew it too, but as much as he was struggling with keeping his hands off the girl, he couldn’t bear to turn her away.

It was strange how easily they’d become good friends, two people of different age groups, opposing genders, that should have hardly anything in common, and yet Lex found he enjoyed her company much more than that of anybody else, including Clark, if he were honest.

Getting up from his chair, Lex realised he perhaps ought to see how Chloe was getting on with her packing. With only the one good arm, things might be awkward and she really wasn’t the type to ask for help, despite the fact Lex had informed her she could ask any of the staff to help her with folding clothes or fetching and carrying her belongings. Making his way up the stairs, Lex almost thought he could hear music, but paid no mind to the sound as he walked up to Chloe’s door.

“If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends!” she was still singing as she opened said door and came face to face with Lex who had his fist raised, preparing to knock.

“Intesreting choice in music.” He smirked as he noted the lyrics she’d been in mid-flow of, and found amusement in the way she blushed profusely at his comment.

“Blame the radio,” she said awkwardly. “They seem to have it on a loop lately," she said, going back into her room to shut it off.

It honestly hadn’t occurred to Chloe yet that she might be a little inappropriately dressed for being anywhere but alone in her room. She and Lex were so comfortable around each other somehow, and the mansion had so quickly become her second home, she really didn’t think about the fact that short-shorts and a T-shirt left very little to the imagination in front of a man known for seducing women of all types.

Poor Lex. As if it wasn’t hard enough for him already, and that thought was a double-entendre in itself. Here was Chloe parading around in front of him in next to nothing, looking sexy as hell and as far as he could tell not even realising it. Stood by the bed as she was now, sorting clothes into bags, the animalistic part of Lex Luthor just wanted to throw her down and take her right now, consequences be damned. Thankfully, he’d long since learned to tame the beast within, and had enough self-control to keep his distance, but it didn’t come easy.

“I was actually on my way to the bathroom,” she said then, realising she had been on her way out of the room when she inadvertently let Lex in. “I think I left some products in there,” she said, gesturing vaguely with the arm that worked, squeezing past him to get to the door and escape.

Lex couldn’t breathe until she was gone, and then had to fight with his own reactions to her presence. This was becoming ridiculous, and though Lex would miss the company of the girl he’d fast come to see as a new best friend, he couldn’t deny that not having her in the house everyday would at least mean he had sanctuary when he needed it. Unfortunately, Lex knew he couldn’t leave the room until she returned, or Chloe would find in strange. By the same token, if he stayed, it was unlikely he was going to be able to form a sentence.

Whilst Lex was still puzzling on this, Chloe returned from the bathroom with a couple of bottles, presumably shampoo or similar, tossed them into one of her bags and zipped it shut.

“Almost done now,” she admitted. “Then I’ll be out of your hair... sorry,” she winced when she realised that was completely the wrong phrase.

“Chloe, I think you know me well enough by now to know I don’t take offence at much,” he assured her, glad at least to have something else to talk and think about.

In their current position either side of the bed, at least he could almost forget her legs were on display down there.

“Does it really not bother you?” she asked curiously, a subject she’d never been near until now. “I mean, looks shouldn’t matter, and you’d be the same guy with or without hair but... for you, its gotta be weird, right?”

“It’s been such a long time now, almost your whole lifetime ago,” he commented with an odd sort of a smile. “I hated going through school like this, children can be cruel, but I’ve leaned to live with it.” He shrugged his shoulders. “As you say, anybody with an ounce of sense knows that what a person looks like doesn’t define who they are. Those that can’t understand that probably aren’t worth my time.”

“Agreed.” Chloe nodded her head at that, as the pair looked at each other in such a way that the rest of the world faded out for just a moment.

They saw each other better than anyone perhaps, and were friends despite their differences. Chloe knew some would consider her equal parts brave and stupid for making friends with the devil that Lex Luthor was supposed to be, but she never listened to those rumours. In the same way, Lex knew some would think him foolish for claiming to have found a friend in a fifteen year old high school student, and would no doubt suspect his motives towards Chloe were questionable, but he saw her for the adult she would hope to be, and knew she saw no trace of monster in him, despite all she must have heard from the locals.

“Anyway,” he said, shaking his head then, mindful of staying here too long and losing focus, “the actual reason I came up here was to see if you needed a hand with anything, but clearly you have things under control, so I’ll leave you to it.”

He smiled, making for the door before this serious conversation with a half naked young woman turned into anything it really shouldn’t.

“Lex?” she said behind him, his hand stilling on the door knob as he glanced back at her. “Thank you,” she said seriously as he turned to face her a moment, “for everything,” she added as she rounded the end of the bed and on a complete whim reached out to hug him.

She only had the one arm to use and had to be careful of crushing the other between her body and his, but it felt right to want to do this. Lex really had been a great friend and she hoped he would continue to be so. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to live as he did, all alone in a huge house with few friends and no family to speak of, barring a father that was so low as to sleep with his son’s girlfriend! Chloe doubted Lex received much in the way of gratitude and even less in the way of love and affection. This was one thing she could give back to him, in return for all he had done for her so far.

“You’re more than welcome, Chloe,” he said, his voice too soft to his own ears as he held her close, perhaps a little longer than he should have, but the feel of her body next to his was so good and on so many levels, he couldn’t bear to miss a moment of such pleasure.

When they parted, he moved away quickly, citing work as his reason for bolting. Chloe watched him go and let out a sigh she wasn’t quite expecting. That day she’d run out of Smallville High in tears because her precious Torch had been taken away, she’d had no idea that running into Lex Luthor would change her life so much. Not only had she become an avid drama geek, for lack of a better term, but here she was staying in the Luthor Mansion and calling its owner a friend.

The way the residents of Smallville talked, you would be hard pushed to believe that Alexander Luthor was anything less than a monster, and yet Chloe couldn’t imagine her life without him in it now, couldn’t imagine a better friend than he had been these past few weeks. When she needed someone to support her in a new endeavour, there he was. When she needed a place to crash, his casa was her casa. When she’d landed up in the hospital because of an accident that occurred in his home, he was all apologies and fussing around her like she was the most precious and important thing in the world to him.

Chloe sat down on the edge of the bed, smile playing at her lips. Centre of a guy’s world was always a fun place to be and the centre of Lex’s world she liked best of all. She never felt she had to be different with him, he just seemed to get her no matter what. He didn’t talk down to her just because she was younger, he always assumed she understood everything unless she said otherwise, and she loved that. She loved everything Lex had done for her, and she loved how comfortable she felt around him. Despite the fact she would’ve liked to have been involved in the investigation, Chloe even loved how Lex took charge when it came to the criminals who had both robbed him and hurt her. He wouldn’t give her details, but he had promised her so faithfully that the situation would be dealt with.

‘I promise you, Chloe, these people will pay the price for crossing us,’ he’d told her with such a look of fire and ice combined in his eyes that she’d shuddered in the most delicious way at the sight of it.

All Powerful Lex was as appealing to her as My Best Friend Lex, just in a totally different way. As she thought on it some more, Chloe came to realise she really couldn’t find a side of Lex Luthor that she didn’t like. That made her start to wonder if 'like' was all she really felt. More importantly perhaps, she began to muse, did he more than just like her too?


	11. Chapter 11

“With love’s light wings did I o’er-perch these walls; for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt; therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.” 

Paul recited these words off by heart despite the fact the role was not his own.

Unfortunately, Chloe seemed to be in a world of her own and not listening at all. Instead she sat in the corner of the booth, staring into her coffee cup but not drinking a sip. That in itself was concerning to her friend, who had learnt all too quickly how much Miss Sullivan loved her some java. Evidently something was on her mind.

“Chloe?” he said her name one more time, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “Earth to Sullivan!”

“Oh, sorry,” she apologised immediately she realised she’d zoned out. “Um, where were we?” she asked, putting down her coffee fast and picking up her script from the table.

“Well, I was about to scale a wall to your balcony,” explained Paul with a smirk. “God only knows where your head space was, because it wasn’t here at The Beanery, or in Verona with our star-crossed lovers.”

Chloe sighed, feeling stupid. This wasn’t the first time she’d let her mind wander so far that she almost completey forgot where she was or what she was doing. The thing on her mind? Well, not so much a something as a someone, namely Lex Luthor. It may be odd for anyone else to hear, but lately he had become her new best friend, a post shared with Paul himself. However, whilst her school friend was highly thought of, it was Lex that haunted Chloe’s dreams - literally!

The day she left the mansion to go home with her dad had been the day that Chloe started to wonder on their odd relationship. They could’ve been like sister and brother, it would’ve made some kind of sense, and yet Chloe couldn’t look at Lex that way at all. No, she saw the man he was all too clearly, well-built body, sharp wit, sexy smirk, and well-hidden caring nature. Both the physical and emotional attributes Lex possessed had slowly charmed her, and Chloe was now beginning to realise that friendship was never really going to be enough for her in the grand scheme of things.

“Why didn’t I learn the first time?” she muttered, thinking of how easily her friendship with Clark was destroyed as he went after Lana, leaving her in the dust.

Romantic feelings ruined perfectly good friendships, and the last thing Chloe wanted was to jeopardise what she and Lex had built up over the weeks and months before. This was the reason for her thinking so hard on the subject, trying to weigh up the risks, to make a judgement on both her feelings and Lex’s own. It was eating into everything, distracting her from studying and acting both, and infecting her dreams with images both heart-breaking and erotic at different times.

“What gives, Chlo?” asked Paul then as he stared at her. “You’ve been zoning out more often than I can count these past few days, and I don’t believe it’s all about the painkillers,” he told her, since the medication for her arm was her excuse the very first time he caught her in a daydream.

“It’s nothing,” she said, waving away his concern. “Honestly, I’m just being weird.” She laughed off his concern as nothing, and though Paul didn’t want to let it go he also didn’t want to push it and upset her.

Chloe Sullivan was his first and truest friend at Smallville High. Though he was forced to share her with the town billionaire, he could deal. She made time for everyone that mattered it seemed, no matter what, and that was just one thing he liked so much about her.

“Hey, Chloe,” said a voice behind her then.

She turned to nod her head and greet Clark and Lana in kind. It was all they did these days, polite hellos when they passed by each other. Chloe considered breaking down and just being more friendly towards them, letting those two as well as Pete back into her life a little more, but pride just wouldn’t let her do it. They had taken her dream, and scoffed at her new interest, and now they were slowly running her paper into the ground. No, she couldn’t be their friend right now, no more than she could fly.

“Those two are kinda nauseating,” noted Paul, truthfully and not at all because he knew it was what he knew Chloe would like to hear. “Seriously, they’re not dating but they’re just so obviously all over each other, and the huge grin-fest when they got each other's names for the English assignment? Cringeworthy!” he declared emphatically.

Chloe picked up her coffee to drink at last only to find it almost completely cold.

“At least we managed to dodge that bullet,” she winced at the cold drink and placed the mug back on the table with distaste. “An essay about our experiences in the drama production will be so much more interesting than a couple of thousand words on another member of our class. Especially if you got Clark, what the hell would you say? He’s one boring step to the left from Average Joe.”

“Ooh, still not over the betrayal, huh?” Paul practically winced at the way Chloe spoke of her old friend.

“I prefer people who actually care about their friends more than who they’d like to be making out with,” she said sharply, getting to her feet. “You want a refill?”

“Sure,” nodded Paul, passing her his empty mug and then sitting back further on the couch, studying his script a while.

Chloe took in and let out a deep breath as she walked up to the counter and waited her turn to be served. She didn’t want to be so mad about Clark, Pete, and Lana, and how they treated her. She wanted to be over it like she kept saying she was, but it still hurt even now how they could so easily disregard her feelings. Lex would never do that, she was certain, and she’d like to think Paul wouldn’t either. They were good guys, this she knew, despite the former's reputation and the latter's being so new in her life.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” said a voice to accompany the way Chloe was unceremoniously shunted away from the counter, spilling half her cold coffee on the floor, and a little on her pants. “I’m such an idiot,” the mystery man who had knocked into her apologised as he reached for a pile of paper napkins from the counter and began wiping up the spillage from both Chloe and the floor.

“It’s fine, honestly,” she told him, putting the two mugs down on the counter and crouching down to help the stranger with his task. “At least it wasn’t hot coffee, could’ve been much worse,” she said, smiling.

“Thanks, it’s nice to meet a friendly person here,” he said when they both stood up a moment later and he held a hand out to her. “My name’s Jude Royce.”

“Chloe Sullivan,” she replied as she shook his hand. “So, you’re new in town?” 

They moved up to the counter together and two different waitresses took their orders.

“Just passing through, hoping to look up an old friend.” He smiled leaning next to her. “Maybe you know him, his name’s Lex Luthor.”

“Everybody knows Lex.”

She shrugged, somehow not liking the way Jude was looking at her now, and deciding to keep things vague. He got a weird look in his eyes when he mentioned Lex. Besides, Chloe knew only too well that her friend was not whiter than white in his past. She didn’t know details, but his wild youth was well documented and he had admitted himself that not all of it was fabricated. Any man who showed up in Smallville referring to Lex as an ‘old friend’ almost definitely had to be bad news, and Chloe certainly wasn’t about to help him cause trouble.

“I have to get back to my friend,” she said just as soon as her and Paul’s coffees were placed before her, struggling to pick up the two now-full cups with just once hand - it’d been fine when one was empty.

“Here, let me help you,” offered Jude, and Chloe couldn’t really find a way to say no until Paul suddenly appeared beside her.

“It’s cool, I got it,” he said, cutting in and grabbing up both drinks. “C’mon, babe,” he said, ushering Chloe away from the man that seemed suspicious to him somehow, though Paul could not have put his finger on why anymore than his friend could’ve.

Back at their table, Chloe shuddered involuntarily.

“Thank you for that,” she said sincerely. “There was something weird about that guy.”

“Something seemed wrong” agreed Paul. “I figured swooping in was the thing to do. What’d he say to you?” he asked curiously.

Chloe picked up her hot coffee that was even more welcome right now, and took a long drink.

“Not much,” she admitted. “He said his name was Jude Royce, and that he was an old friend of Lex. I don’t know, I just get the feeling he’s not as friendly as he was trying to seem. He really creeped me out.”

She shuddered once more, not feeling at all comfortable now about having given the mysterious stranger her name. Looking around the edge of the both, she was a little surprised to see that Jude was gone from the counter, and nowhere that she could see in the whole of the coffee shop. Something just wasn’t right here, she was certain of it.

“Paul...” she began as she turned back to face him, only to find him already stuffing his script and cell into his book bag.

“You want me to drive you to the mansion so you can tell Lex Luthor about this guy,” he told her before she had a chance to even ask. “Don’t go getting all predictable on me, Sullivan” he said, smirking, much to Chloe's amusement, as they got up to leave.

“Not a chance,” she promised.

* * *

Though Lex seemed busy when they arrived at the mansion and stepped into his office, he smiled brightly at the sight of Chloe, flashing her a brief signal that he’d be right with her. He finished his phone call with his back turned to her a moment, completely missing the arrival of Paul who stepped in behind her then. As he ended his call and turned to face his new arrivals again, Lex got quite a surprise, not least because a large amount of disappointment suddenly hit him square in the chest.

“Chloe... and Paul,” he greeted them very differently, a genuine look for the former and a much more forced expression with which to greet the latter. “How’s the arm?” he asked Chloe then, all full of concern and a twinge of guilt still at the sight of her injury.

“Oh, it’s fine,” she waved away his concern with the hand that was not still aided by medical means. “Doctor says the cast will be off right in time for my performance, so Juliet won’t have to explain how she fell out a window at least.” She rolled her eyes and smiled at her own odd explanation.

“That’s great, Chloe,” said Lex with a smile, as he ushered the pair over to the two couches and all three of them sat down, Chloe with Lex and Paul on the other side of the table,making Lex smirk proudly on the inside at least. “Now, whilst you know you’re always welcome here, I wonder why the sudden visit... with escort?” he said, looking somewhere distastefully at Paul.

“Well, Chloe can’t exactly drive herself around,” he explained, not at all phased by the young Mr Luthor’s attitude. “Besides, she had a weird experience at The Beanery, kinda freaked her out.”

“I’m fine,” argued Chloe, determined not to seem childish and stupid in front of her older friend. “It wasn’t so weird, I just met a guy at the coffee shop. Seemed pretty normal at first, helpful, decent, then he mentioned he was an old friend of yours and... I don’t know, Lex, something about the way he said it just made me think maybe he wasn’t so ‘friendly’ as he wanted me to believe.”

Lex nodded in understanding, proud of his friend for being so thoughtful about what information she gave to strangers. Moreover, there was a warm glow inside his heart as he realised that above all else Chloe had his best interest at heart, and had come here immediately to give him a warning if one were needed. Though he’d kept the details to a minimum for everyone’s safety, he had told her tales of his past. She knew as well as anyone that ‘friends’ from that time in his life may not be all they seemed.

“Did this friend of mine tell you his name?”

Chloe nodded her head.

“Jude Royce,” she said simply, knowing the moment the words left her lips that something was very wrong.

The light in Lex’s eyes turned dark in an instant, his body tensed, and his face grew pale. He was up from the couch in a moment, desperate that his emotions would not betray him as he turned his back on the two teens.

“Lex?” said Chloe worriedly, glancing between his back and Paul who looked equally bemused by the billionaire’s reaction to a man’s name. “Who is this guy?” she asked in earnest.

“I don’t know.” Lex shook his head, turning back to face her with a smile that was evidentially forced. “I honestly don’t know who you met today, Chloe, but it wasn’t Jude Royce. Someone is obviously playing tricks on you.”

“How do you know that?” asked Paul, before Chloe got the chance to.

“Because, Jude Royce is dead.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe could hardly believe what she was seeing as she sat at the computer in The Torch office, typing awkwardly with one good hand and one she really ought not to be using. A few searches was all it had taken to find the information she wanted, though she knew she should never have been looking in the first place.

After telling her that Jude Royce was dead, Lex had practically thrown Chloe and Paul out of the mansion. Well, not exactly, but for the first time in months, Chloe had felt that her friend just didn’t want her in his home. She didn’t take offence, since she was pretty sure she knew what his problem was. The past was not a place Lex much liked to visit, and given the stories he had told her before this, Chloe could understand why. Still, with them being as close as she believed they were these days, his refusal to really explain his connection to Jude Royce made her worry.

For two whole days, her fingers had itched for the keyboard and her brain had filled up to bursting point with questions and Googling possibilities. She needed to know what was going on, who Jude Royce really was, how he died, and why someone else might be pretending to be that man. Most of all, she wanted to know what connection there was between all this and her new friend, Lex Luthor. If he wasn’t going to tell her then she would have to find out on her own, Chloe decided, despite the fact that when she shared her thoughts with Paul he advised against it.

“If Lex wanted you to know, he’d tell you,” he’d pointed out quite sensibly. “It’s probably best to just forget about it. Let it go, Chlo.”

Of course, that was like telling a bird not to fly or a fish not to swim, and that was why on the third day after meeting non-Jude, Chloe snuck into the empty Torch office, easily evaded the new passworded system and hopped online to spend her free period checking for anything she could find on the Internet related to Jude Royce and his possible connection to Lex.

Right now, less than an hour after she’d begun her search, Chloe almost wished she hadn’t bothered. Her worst fears were being recognised bit by bit as she clicked one link after the other, words flashing before her eyes that made her gasp with shock and quake with fear too if she were honest; a barely legal night-club, a confrontation that went too far, and a murder charge.

What both baffled and relieved Chloe in equal measure was that no matter how hard she looked she couldn’t find any mention of the Luthors anywhere. She wasn’t stupid, even if Lex had been involved in the murder, even only as an innocent bystander, his father would have paid off anyone that knew. Lex was too rich and too important for Lionel to have allowed him to be shown as a part in anything even remotely illegal, and this was one of the very worst crimes to be attached to.

Checking her watch, Chloe knew she had to get out of the office, not only because she had a class in ten minutes, but also because there was every chance an actual member of the paper’s staff would be showing up to work on the latest issue. Gathering up her things and ensuring she closed down everything and logged off before she left, Chloe hurried unseen from The Torch office, certain she would now make it to English class on time. Of course, she also knew she stood no chance of concentrating at all, not today. She would have to go over to the mansion after school and talk to Lex about Jude Royce, Club Zero, and all that went with it. Somehow he was involved and she intended to ask him how. If he was half the man she thought he was, he would tell her too.

* * *

“Chloe, this is a pleasant surprise.” Lex smiled as she came into his office unannounced. “You’re lucky to find me here, I only got home a few minutes ago myself, “ he explained, happy expression faltering somewhat when he saw her own serious looks, “Has something happened?”

“You tell me, Lex,” said Chloe as she dropped down into the seat opposite his desk. “When I came here to tell you about the guy I met at the Beanery, calling himself Jude Royce, you told me it was fine and not to worry about it,” she recounted, watching Lex grow wary at the sound of her words. “I can’t help it, I did worry about it.”

Lex steepled his fingers, practically hiding his face behind his hands as he fought to keep his cool. He knew Chloe well enough, he ought to have known she wouldn’t leave this odd situation alone until she knew the whole truth, but Lex wasn’t sure it was something he could bear to share, especially with her.

“Chloe, I can assure you, you really don’t need to be concerned-” he began only to have her interrupt, one of only a few people who ever dared to do so when it came to Lex Luthor.

“You’re my friend, Lex, and I am concerned,” she told him a little too loudly, moderating her tone when she realised her own volume was rising and on a subject best not shared with the help. “I know Memory Lane isn’t your favourite location, but Panic Central isn’t mine. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for this to go away, I had to... I had to know the truth,” she said, somewhat more quietly as he stared at her with eyes that grew cold as steel in a moment.

Lex knew what she had done, knew by now the truth she had found. Of course, he ought to have known from the beginning she wouldn’t let this go without knowing all the facts. He had once called her a truthseeker, just like himself, and never had truer words been spoken.

“You dug into my private affairs?” he asked her, certain it was already true.

Chloe flinched just a little at the icy edge to his tone.

“No” she answered truthfully, “I looked into Jude Royce, and how he died,” she admitted, watching Lex as he got up from his chair and turned his back on her, staring out of the window. “It’s not a crime, Lex. I just wanted to know how I met a guy who was supposed to be dead... and why it bothers you so much.”

There was a long pause then that went on too long for Chloe’s comfort. Eventually, when it became clear Lex was either too mad at her to speak, or too busy trying to concoct a lie to fob her off with, she took matters into her own hands.

“I’m not a fool, Lex,” she told him as she got to her feet and marched around the desk to stand right behind him. “I read newspaper reports, more than one, all about Club Zero and what happened that night. How a guy named Max Kasitch shot Jude Royce and killed him.”

He spun around to face her then, though no words came even now, just a glare that Chloe refused to be intimidated by.

“You know I can keep digging. You know better than anyone how much I love to find the truth. If you’re tied up in this somehow, Lex, if this Jude Royce look-alike is a threat to you-”

“He’s not,” he cut her off then, “but you need to stay out of this, Chloe,” he said, gripping her upper arms and looking almost desperate somehow as their eyes met. “I can’t have you getting mixed up in this”

“Mixed up in what, Lex?” she asked in earnest. “As far as all the stories go, you weren’t even at Club Zero that night.” She shook her head.

He couldn’t meet her gaze anymore when she’d said those words and Chloe knew the worry that had been gnawing at her was justified. Lex had been there that night, and a cover up had kept the Luthor name out of the papers. Of course, her biggest fear was finding out exactly what Lex’s involvement had been in the incident. Had he started a fight? Had he given the command? Had he pulled the trigger? She didn’t want to believe these things of him, but the way he was acting suggested the worst.

“I’m just trying to protect you,” he said as he leant on his desk a moment, then ran a hand over his his scalp. “Trying to protect you, like I tried to protect Amanda,” he sighed, shaking his head, knowing this situation was most likely as helpless as Club Zero had been before.

For all his money and power and influence, even the great Lex Luthor couldn’t save everybody. Chloe meant so much to him, and had come to do so with such ease. The idea of putting her in danger, it was more than he could bear, and he’d stupidly thought that keeping the truth from her would be better. He ought to have known she would find for herself what he would not tell her, and that only stood to make her life so much more dangerous if the wrong people caught onto her digging.

“Who is Amanda?” asked Chloe, swallowing hard just a little nervous about what she might hear next. “Lex, who is she?” she tried again when no answer came immediately.

“She’s a girl I used to know,” he said at length, dropping back into his desk chair and gesturing she should sit down again too as he took a breath and decided to let out the whole story, “Chloe, the story you read isn’t true. As I’m sure you will have figured out by now, my father did a great deal of covering up for me in what he likes to call my ‘wild years’.” He smiled at he term in spite of the seriousness of the tale he was telling.

“Lex, if you’re going to tell me something, just tell me,” she urged him when he stalled one more time. “You can trust me, you know that.”

The weirdest thing was, Lex knew she as right, as he stared across at the little blonde fifteen year old former wannabe-reporter and now amateur actress. It was bizarre to think that he was sat here about to spill his guts about a murder to such a person, and yet he would do it, knowing as he did that she would indeed keep his secret. How he knew it, Lex couldn’t possibly explain, but he was more sure of Chloe’s integrity than of almost anything else in the world.

“Amanda was one of my best friends,” he began from the beginning. “That night we went out to Club Zero, just out to have fun, but then she caught her boyfriend with another girl...”

“Jude Royce?” Chloe guessed, and though Lex was as impressed by her sharp mind as always, he silenced her with a look, knowing if he was interrupted he might never make if through this story.

“Jude thought I brought Amanda to the club on purpose, to set it up so he’d be caught in the act,” he explained, though he neither denied or confirmed if Jude’s suspicions were true. “He came at me, pulled a knife,” he went on, his hand going absently to his shoulder where a scar resided beneath his shirt. “The security guard, Max Kasitch, pulled his gun, but it wasn’t him that pulled the trigger... it was Amanda,” he said so softly that Chloe almost didn’t hear those last three words.

The room was silent as she took in what had been said and Lex relived a night he would sooner forget forever. A part of Chloe wished she’d never asked, as much as a part of Lex wish he hadn’t started this conversation with her. Still, it was done now and too late to take any of it back.

“You covered for Amanda,” said Chloe at length, putting together the facts and coming up with the only logical explanation she could find. “You pretended you shot Jude so that whatever bent cop Lionel was paying to keep your wild nights under wraps would keep Amanda out of trouble too,” she guessed, sure she was right even before Lex confirmed it.

“I’m not proud of my deception, Chloe,” he told her with a sad shake of his head. “I was trying to protect someone who couldn’t protect herself.”

“I know.” Chloe nodded that she understood completely, proving once and again just how mature she really was for her age. “Lex, I understand why you did what you did, but I’m still a little confused. If Jude Royce is dead, who did I meet at The Beanery?” she asked, looking genuinely baffled.

“A double,” explained Lex, running a hand over his face as he regained some composure, “Employed by Amanda’s brother to come here and haunt me. She’s dead, Chloe, and she killed herself because I turned my back on her,” he said, clearly pained by even talking about the subject.

Chloe hated to see Lex this way, and yet she wished the world could know him as he was in this moment. So human and vulnerable, so far from the monster the press and the people painted him as. He suffered for the sins of his father, and the rumours and stories manufactured by people much worse than Lex could ever be, Chloe was certain. He was her friend and he was hurting. It broke her heart to see it.

“Lex, it wasn’t your fault,” she told him firmly as she got up from her seat to round the desk and crouch down by his chair, making him look at her. “You tried to fix things.”

“There are some things that can’t be fixed, Chloe,” he snapped at her, perhaps a little too harshly, but he couldn’t help himself. “Amanda killed herself after what happened. People are still dead because of me,” he told her.

Chloe was certain he expected her to be afraid of that fact - she was not.

“Maybe, maybe not,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, grabbing hold of his hand to keep his attention on her as he tried to shy away from the truth she was telling him, “but Amanda stayed alive and out of jail because of you. If she took her own life after that then that was her call,” she said determinedly, “maybe she just wasn’t strong enough to deal with what she’d done.”

Lex couldn’t listen to her reason, though he would love to believe it. He had to feel guilty for what he’d done, and even Chloe, as wonderful as she was, could not help him with that.

“You can’t be expected to understand,” he muttered as he got up and walked away from her, towards the bar where he was sure to find some healing liquid to make all his problems a little less vivid in his mind for a while.

“Oh, I get it, Lex,” said Chloe behind him, her mood switching from sympathetic to critical in a moment at the sound of his dismissive tone. “It takes guts to live in your world, I know that, but I’m not scared,” she said definitely, walking up behind him and reaching out a hand to his arm. “I’m not afraid of you or what you’ve done” she continued, as he turned to look back at her. “I know you’re different now.”

“How can you be so sure?” he asked her, feeling so very unworthy of her friendship right now, and the worst kind of person for the other thoughts he’d had about their relationship before this.

“Because I know you,” she said without hesitation or a hint of doubt. “These past few weeks, I just feel like I found a new best friend.” She smiled. “I thought you felt the same,” she added, expecting a reaction that never came, disappointed when he looked away and at the floor. “Well, maybe I was wrong,” she realised sadly, turning from him then and making for the door.

So far from pondering on the prospect of more than friendship existing between them, Chloe was now seriously wondering if they even had that. As she made it to the door, her hand reaching for the knob, she stopped when she heard him say her name. Turning back, she glanced at him, wondering what he would have to say for himself now. He surprised her with perhaps the last words anyone would ever expect from a Luthor.

“I’m sorry,” he told her, as honestly as he’d ever said anything to anyone, but it wasn’t good enough for Miss Sullivan.

“For what, Lex?” she wanted to know.

He sadly shook his head before answering that.

“For not being the man you thought I was,” he told her then, making Chloe feel as sad as he looked in that moment.

“I thought you were a man who turned his life around, tried to overcome his past, and be a better person,” she explained, opening the door to leave. “I still believe that, Lex, even if you don’t,” she added as she finally left, allowing the door to slam shut behind her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe slammed her locker door with anger and frustration both. She was not having a good day. In fact, she was having a pretty crappy week all in all. It had started with her trip to the mansion, confronting Lex about Jude Royce and what really happened three years ago at Club Zero. She had expected him to be a little mad at her for her investigation, and she had anticipated the story of what happened to be different to that which she read in the archived newspaper reports. What Chloe hadn’t banked on was Lex’s complete lack of faith in not only himself but also in her, and in their friendship.

It stung to think that Lex didn’t consider they were close enough for him to trust her with his secrets. Sure, they had only been friends a few weeks that had barely become months but they had developed such a relationship in that time, it felt to Chloe as if they had known each other years. Unfortunately, Lex had proven he did not feel the same, and Chloe couldn’t help the fact it really hurt, especially since she had been seriously considering the true nature of their friendship, and the possibility of more coming out of it.

Best friends were not bad things to have, and Chloe was lucky enough to have found two very good ones. It was true, she had let two others slip out of her life quite easily, and there were times when she seriously considered making more of an effort to be better friends with Clark and Pete again, but it never really happened. They ran in different circles these days and saw each other very little, though when they did, they managed civilities and even a little friendly banter occasionally. Strangely, now was to be one of the odd moments when Chloe found herself in the company of one of her old friends.

“Chloe?” said an almost nervous voice behind her and the little blonde turned to see Clark hovering at her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked carefully, mindful of getting his head bitten off.

“Honestly?” she sighed, turning to lean her back against the lockers. “I don’t know,” she admitted, feeling completely frustrated by everything right now.

“Chloe, I know we’ve kind of been doing our own stuff lately and not spending time together,” he went on to say, “and I know some of that was on purpose after what happened with The Torch and everything but... I’d hate to think that we were never going to be friends again, that you wouldn’t even want to talk to me when you needed someone,” he said, looking truly hurt at the idea of her cutting him out of her life so completely.

Chloe actually felt a little bad as she glanced up at him. Poor Clark, he was so oblivious. She would like to stay mad at him for what she saw as his betrayal, but honestly, she doubted he was even aware of how much he was hurting her. It didn’t excuse the fact that his behaviour had caused her pain, and continued to do so if she thought on it too long and hard. Still, she did not need any more enemies than she already had, nobody did, and he was making an effort right now when she had no-one else left to turn too.

“Clark, how would you define your friendship with Lex?” she asked him then, startling him a little since it wasn’t exactly the question he was expecting.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Lex is a good guy, and no way the devil spawn that people like my dad seem to think he is,” he explained. “Honestly, I haven’t spent so much time with him lately, between school and Lana and The Tor... and everything,” he amended, remembering who he was talking to just a little too late in his sentence. “I thought you were spending more time at the mansion than me lately, staying there and all,” he reminded her. “You probably know Lex better than I do right now.”

“I thought so,” said Chloe thoughtfully, hugging her books to her chest. “Now I’m not so sure. I guess its easy to fool yourself into thinking that the friends you make in life will always be there, always be honest and have your back,” she said, her words obviously meant much more for Clark now than being about Lex or even a general throw away comment.

“Chloe...” he began.

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Clark. That was a little uncalled for, I know,” she told him, “but you know me, once I hit take no prisoners mode, its kinda hard for me to shut it off.” She half-smiled, before pushing herself off the wall with one foot and walking away. “I’ll see you around”

“Yeah, see ya,” he agreed as he watched her go.

It didn’t make a huge amount of sense to Clark at first, that Chloe and Lex would be hanging out together. In a lot of ways they were so different, but then Clark remembered they were both city kids, motherless, truthseekers, with a quick wit and an energy about them that Clark could never quite put his finger on. In a lot of ways they were a perfect fit, and the realisation of it made Clark feel quite strange. Two of his best friends, becoming best friends themselves was odd to say the least, but he knew he had no right to give his opinion on the subject. He had made a real mess of what he and Chloe had, and was hardly a decent friend to Lex of late, as he never seemed to have time to visit him. That needed fixing, and Clark decided to make a conscious effort to go and see Lex today, if at all possible.

* * *

“Mr Luthor,” said the security guard/butler as he came into the silent office. “Clark Kent is here to see you.”

Lex was a little surprised by that. If anyone was coming to visit he would have expected Chloe, and yet it had been a few days since he last saw her. When she walked out of the door after their semi-fight, he had wondered how long it would take before she came back; apparently longer than this.

“Let him in,” he told the suited man who nodded and went to fetch the visitor from the hallway, as Lex shut the lid of his computer and got up from his seat.

“Hey, Lex.” The farmboy grinned as usual the moment he got into the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting your work or anything.”

“Always time to spare for a friend.” Lex smiled a little less enthusiastically perhaps as he rounded his desk and sat on the front edge. “Is there something in particular you wanted to talk about Clark? Or am I lucky enough to have been chosen over and above the wondrous Miss Lang for a genuine social call.” He smirked, unable to help himself the little jab at his friend's expense.

“I’m sorry,” said Clark immediately, as he sat down in the chair Lex waved him towards. “I know I’ve been kind of distracted lately and we’ve hardly seen each other...”

“Clark, it’s fine,” his friend assured him, waving away any concerns Clark might have on that score. “We’re all busy people, trying to juggle various relationships of all kinds. I don’t expect daily visits from you." He shook his head. “Although I appreciate the company and a chance to talk, I could just as easily be called the one at fault for not seeking you out.”

Clark considered that and realised he was right, of course, it had been something that he’d been concerned about. Perhaps Lex was more deliberately avoiding him after all Chloe must have said. She was extremely mad at both him and Lana, as well as Pete, for taking The Torch away from her, at least he knew that’s how she saw it.

“I was talking to Chloe today,” he said then, less than subtle, but that didn’t matter to Clark.

“How are things between you these days?” asked Lex curiously.

Chloe didn’t mention her other friends much anymore, except for Paul whose name popped up day in, day out, ad nauseum. Lex did his best not to be aggravated by the mere mention of the boy but it didn’t prove easy, and as he sat alone these past few days contemplating what would happen next in his so-called friendship with Chloe, he became concerned with the fact he may have inadvertently driven her further into the young Mr Danforth’s arms. Of course, she was never in his own arms to begin with, but that particular thought led to a very dark path that Lex dare not let his conscious mind wander down. His subconscious could not be so easily controlled, and dreams of the pretty blonde haunted him most nights, especially since she had stopped coming around to the mansion. By the same token as with Clark, he could have gone to see her just as easily, but honestly, Lex was almost nervous about doing so. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to, but it was there all the same and he had to live with it. Without knowing Chl  
oe’s current state of mind, he wasn’t crazy about facing her. 'Know thy enemy' was a very useful phrase to live by, and though Lex hoped Chloe would never be against him in such a way, he did worry she would never like him even as much as she had a week ago.

“...so it’s not like she’s given up on our friendship completely, which is great,” said Clark, as Lex brought himself back to the real world from the deep thoughts and daydreams he’d been caught up in. “I was actually going to ask you the same kind of question,” he admitted then, alerting Lex to the fact he’d begun listening again just in time. “Did you and Chloe have some kind of fight?”

“Did she say that?” asked Lex curiously, not sure he liked it better or worse when Clark looked pained and only answered with the vaguest of replies.

“Yes and no.” He shrugged. “She didn’t actually say there was a fight exactly... I don’t know, I just got the feeling that was what she was trying to tell me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t’ve called it a fight,” said Lex evenly. “Just a misunderstanding, and all friends have those. Besides, I’m sure we would have it all figured out by now, except for the fact I’ve been snowed under with work,” he lied, “and she’s probably caught up with play rehearsals and spending time with Paul,” he said, with just a hint of bitterness in his voice, that thankfully Clark was too dense to notice.

“Rehearsals might be a reason, but Paul isn’t.” He shook his head immediately. “His parents had some kind of family emergency and had to go out of state. They took him out of school for like a week.”

Lex was silent then, unsure what to say or even think for the best. He shouldn’t be glad of something presumably awful happening in Paul Danforth’s life, and yet he was genuinely pleased to know that the boy was out of the picture right now. Better to know practice for Romeo and Juliet was keeping Chloe away and not dates with Paul. Still, Lex knew that wasn’t her only reason for keeping her distance.

“I hope Chloe isn’t too upset by his absence,” he said thoughtfully, genuine in his concern for his friend, of course, but less so in the actual sentiment.

“Honestly, Lex, I think she’s more upset over you than Paul,” said Clark sincerely, obviously unaware of how much of a warm feeling that gave the young Luthor. “Can’t you talk to her about it, figure things out?” he suggested, looking almost pained as he continued. “Things are still weird with us, I don’t want to see her lose another friend in you.”

Lex liked the fact that Clark thought he and Chloe should remain friends, perhaps because it proved to him that the strangeness he felt existed in such a relationship was perhaps not as obvious to anyone else but hismelf. Of course, Clark Kent was not what you could call the brightest bulb, and he couldn’t read some of the less than appropriate thoughts Lex had when it came to Chloe. Still, his approval was welcome, and perhaps all the encouragement Lex really needed to at least mend the slightly bruised friendship between himself and the would-be actress.

“No, I wouldn’t want to see that happen either,” he said with a smile, “but I wouldn’t worry, Clark, I’m sure Chloe and I will work things out before long.”

* * *

It hadn’t taken very long after Clark’s visit for Lex to realise what he needed to do. Being friends with teenagers, it wasn’t his greatest hobby, but then the young Mr Luthor had few people who really cared about him when he was in high school himself. Perhaps he was just making up for what was denied him before, he considered. Either way, it was doing him no good staying out of Chloe’s way and allowing her to drift from him. She was right in what she’d told him a week ago, they had become very good friends, and he was the one ruining that. She and Clark were two of a very few people who believed he was a better person than rumour suggested and the past proved, the last thing he needed was to alienate them.

Sure of the pattern her days always took, Lex made a point of heading for The Beanery a while after school got out, and there Chloe was, sat at a corner table, alone save for the papers on the table and her caffeine fix.

“Is this seat taken?” he asked, making Chloe glance up only briefly before her eyes return to her work.

“That all depends who’s asking,” she said snippily, not even looking at him as she continued. “Who are you today, Lex? My friend? Or the mysterious stranger who would rather dwell on his dark past and give me excuses and lies instead of truth and honesty?” she asked looking up at him then with a steel in her eyes that he had thought she only reserved for Clark these days - clearly he was wrong.

“The first one, I hope,” he said with a half a smile, testing the water as it were with such a look.

Gesturing to the empty seat across from her, Lex wondered still if it was safe to take it. A slight nod of Chloe’s head told him they were at least being civil enough to share space in a coffee shop, though she didn’t seem awfully eager to look at him, nevermind talk.

“Chloe, I am truly sorry about the way I handled the situation with Jude Royce,” he told her, the rare sound of a Luthor apology getting Chloe’s full attention at least.

She could see he was genuine in what he said, and a part of her knew she shouldn’t blame him for the way he behaved. Chloe herself could easily be accused of over-reacting to the most ridiculous things, being less than truthful sometimes, and not treating friends quite as well as she should. Being a Luthor, Chloe was surprised Lex had any idea at all on how to be a decent human being, at least until she got to know him.

“I was only trying to help you,” she said, her tone still a little chilly but her eyes softening as she looked across the table at Lex.

“I know that.” He nodded understanding, hand creeping across the table of its own accord to cover hers. “And you honestly did help, but I hope you see now that even if I didn’t do so in quite the right way, I was just trying to help you too, by keeping you out of a situation I knew could turn dangerous,” he said seriously, and in a low voice that Chloe was certain was to keep certain secrets just that.

Of course, that wasn’t all he achieved with such a tone of voice and the intensity with which he looked at her. Chloe felt quite overwhelmed by it all, and her fingers felt as if they were burning where his were holding on tight.

“I guess I should apologise too,” she admitted with a smile that appeared without her really meaning for it to. “I may have overstepped some lines on the privacy thing,” she said awkwardly, knowing that if she were honest with herself they both had things to feel sorry for in all of this.

Lex was pleased to see her smile at him again, an expression he’d missed on a face he had not seen in too many days. Chloe was far too special to let slip out of his life so easily just mere months after he found her. Of course, every time he was in her presence, he started another internal battle of wills between what he felt for her and his own good sense that said he shouldn’t feel anything but friendship, if even that.

“So, now can we please agree that neither of us are quite perfect yet, and let bygones be bygones?” he suggested.

Her smile grew wider.

“I’ll drink to that,” she said cheekily as she held up her now empty coffee cup

Lex chuckled at her nerve.

“One refill, coming up,” he told her as he took the cup from her hand and headed for the counter.

Chloe watched him go with a smile on her face that just wouldn’t shift. The hand he had let go of to walk away still tingled from the contact, and her heart beat just a little faster following such an intense moment between the two of them. They’d patched up a friendship and that was a good thing, but the longer this went on, the more Chloe realised she was starting to feel a lot more than some kind of sisterly affection that might be expected by those around her.

No, there was nothing the least bit familial about the relationship between herself and Lex. She didn’t want a brother or another father figure. Chloe wanted a man in her life who could love and respect her, who would treat her well, and make her the centre of their world. All this she had thought she wanted from Clark, but she was so wrong. He was just a boy, a best friend, that was true for a long time, but she had been naive there. She had mistaken affection and admiration of his good looks to mean she was in love. This was different, Lex was different, and though they were the best of friends too, something had been rippling beneath the surface for a while now. Chloe was sure he felt it too, certain of it from the way he looked at her sometimes, the way he spoke, just the way he acted around her.

Turning back from the counter, Lex smiled as he saw Chloe watching him, a genuine heart-melting smile that made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Yes, it was moments like these when Chloe Sullivan was convinced she was falling in love.


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe looked at herself in the mirror and swallowed hard. She didn’t get nervous much, very little scared her after years in Smallville, land of the weird and home of the strange. This was a whole new ballgame, a very different situation to find herself in. Stood here looking into the glass, she saw herself in a whole new light, and this entire thing suddenly seemed very real. In two weeks, she would be on that stage, in front of an auditorium full of parents, teachers, and fellow students, performing in Romeo and Juliet for all to see.

Gone was her investigative reporter persona, at least temporarily, as she took on her role of Juliet Capulet. No more pants and earth tones here, Chloe was feeling equal parts out of her depth and strangely proud and beautiful in her flowing old-style dress of soft blue and green. She had let her hair grow out some from its spikey style of a few months ago, and even she knew she looked much more grown up now. Of course, with Juliet being fourteen that wasn’t so much the plan, but that didn’t matter to Chloe, or to her impromptu audience apparently.

“What light through yonder window breaks?” said a voice behind her that she knew very well and smiled brightly at the sound of. “Tis the East, and Chloe is the Sun,” Lex told her as she spotted him in the mirror’s reflection, leaning in the doorway of the drama room behind the stage.

The first thought in Chloe’s head was to admonish Lex for his cheesy entrance and opening line, but the words died on her tongue as she turned and faced him. Something was different, and it wasn’t just the fact that he was without his usual tie and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. It wasn’t even that he was smiling widely at her, though that was less common than any other expression on his face. No, the thing that was bothering Chloe was the look in Lex’s eyes. Had she been naive, she might’ve believed he was mentally undressing her, though that thought in her head seemed preposterous and soon had her letting out a slightly nervous laugh at the very idea.

“Hey, Lex,” she greeted him normally, deciding everything was probably just the same as it always was, and she’d just got caught up in a moment she had invented in her head alone.

After all, it had been a couple of weeks now since she and Lex reaffirmed their friendship and she had come to realise that it wasn’t just a friend-type thing she was feeling for him. No way was she about to tell him that and ruin what they had. For now, she was happy with the ways things were, with a view at making a little more of it later maybe, when her head didn’t feel like it was going to explode from the new and improved stress-load she’d found in acting!

“I’m sorry if I startled you,” said Lex then as he walked over to her. “I was just thinking about you so I thought I’d drop by, see how the dress rehearsal was going,” he explained, standing strangely close.

Chloe honestly wondered if she was imagining things as he gazed down at her, his clear blue eyes flashing with emotions she didn’t know how to face. If anyone asked, and if her vocal chords would’ve worked properly in that moment, Chloe would have said Lex was about to kiss her, and yet she couldn’t imagine for a moment he would act that way. Sure, he was all for big dramatic gestures, it was the Luthor way, but as friendly as they got, as well as they acted Romeo and Juliet together when he helped her learn her lines and actions both, he had never made any kind of move on her, never suggested he would want to really.

“Lex,” Chloe forced out around the lump that came to her throat. “I, er, I thought you told me you were busy with meetings today.” She shook her head slightly, if only to break the intense look between them. “I was going to drop by later when you were done and-”

“I couldn’t wait,” he cut in with words so softly spoken Chloe was sure she would not have heard were his lips not so very close to her ear. “I blew off the meetings to come see you,” he told her, gently pushing her hair behind her ear.

The simple touch made Chloe shudder inside and in the most delicious way. She may be stunned by what he was telling her and by the way he was acting but that didn’t change the fact she was loving Lex’s new attitude towards her. Certain she was falling in love, Chloe had attempted to keep a lid on her emotions, at least for now. Rushing headlong into her crush on Clark ended badly. With Lex, she had been so determined to go carefully and not screw up their special friendship by telling him she might indeed feel something deeper for him. Unfortunately, it seemed she was about to lose control of the situation, as Lex leaned in closer, his hand ghosting down her cheek.

“Lex, what are you doing?” she asked breathlessly, knowing something was wrong with this picture but having to fight with herself to even care at this point.

“What we’ve both wanted me to do for far too long,” he told her, as his fingers slipped behind her head, pulling her to him.

Chloe anticipated an explosive kiss and was in no way disappointed as Lex’s lips landed on hers and he expertly took her breath away. Perhaps it ought to have occurred to her that this was wrong. She’d known the moment he walked in the door something was different, but she couldn’t help but fall into this moment, dismissing her concerns for now and figuring whatever complications must come next could easily be dealt with later. She had never been kissed like this in the whole of her life, and Chloe wasn’t about to waste a moment of it.

Pushing herself right into Lex’s embrace, Chloe was a most willing participant in the activity that was taking place, which was why when Paul saw the couple he didn’t really want to interrupt. Unfortunately for him, Chloe chose that particular moment to come up for air, and her spotting Paul meant Lex did too.

“Sorry,” said Paul, as two pairs of eyes landed on him, “I was just-”

“You were just spying on us,” snapped Lex before he even had a chance to explain.

“Of course not.” Paul shook his head as he came further into the room, wondering at what was going on here and why Lex seemed so mad at him all of a sudden. “I was just coming to get Chloe, they need her on stage and...” he tried to explain, only he got no further than that.

In one movement, Lex let go of Chloe and spun around to grab Paul by the shirt, shoving his back against the wall.

“Lex, what are you doing?” she yelled, astounded by his behaviour.

The kissing side of things she could have gotten used to, however out of character it seemed, but this was insane. She was not about to let one friend beat the crap out of another for no reason. Something was badly wrong here.

“You need to stay away from my girl,” said Lex in a menacing tone as he pushed Paul harder against the wall, making breathing difficult for the boy. “Understand, Danforth? She’s not interested in you.”

“Lex, stop it!” Chloe insisted, moving to pull him off her friend, but it didn’t happen.

Lex brought back his arm to punch Paul just as Chloe got behind him, his elbow striking her however accidentally and sending her sprawling to the ground, tripping over her own skirt.

“Chloe!” Paul yelled as she yelped and held herself, feeling as if all the breath had been knocked out of her,

It was enough to make Lex lose his concentration at least, allowing Paul to escape his clutches and run to Chloe’s aid. Turning slowly to face the pair on the ground, Lex himself found his eyes would no longer focus, and the figures of both the woman he thought he loved and the young man he would accuse of coming between them began to bend out of shape somehow.

“Chloe...” he said, his own voice echoing strangely in his ears, “I didn’t... what’s happening to me?” he asked, dropping to his knees as the world spun out of control, and then all was black.

* * *

Chloe nursed a third cup of coffee that had long since turned cold, sat outside a hospital room that was all too familiar. It was not so very long ago she was here, in a bed with Lex and Paul at her side, worrying about injuries sustained at the Luthor Mansion. Her arm was now completely healed, and she had hoped the day she walked out of here with a clean bill of health would be the last she saw of Smallville General for a long time; it was not to be.

Behind her in a special room lie the unconscious forms of three men. One was named Beales, and she did not know him at all. Another was Jonathan Kent, Clark’s father, who she had liked and respected for years now. The third was Chloe’s very best friend, and a man she was now more certain than ever she was in love with, Lex Luthor. They had all been infected somehow, though as yet the doctors could not find out exactly what had happened.

Chloe knew better than to think that the three men had nothing in common. In the hours between bringing Lex here and now, she had done a little digging, eavesdropped on a few conversations, sent Paul off on errands of research for her. Now she had more information than anyone. She knew that Jonathan Kent had saved Jason Beales from a car wreck last night. She knew that the same man in that crash worked for Lex. She knew two unknown people had seen hanging around the crash site just a couple of hours before Lex came to find Chloe herself. She knew from past experience that all this most likely had something to do with the meteors.

Knowledge was supposed to be power, and yet Chloe had never felt so out of control as she sat in the waiting area of Smallville General, fearing for the life of not just her best friend, but a man she could so easily see a romantic future with. She had hit a brick wall, or so it seemed, until Chloe realised that her luck just might be changing. Today had turned into one of the worst of her life until this particular moment, when yelling in the next hall caught her attention. Investigative tendencies aside, there was no way Chloe could have ignored the mention of the very man she was here for.

“You don’t understand!” boomed a voice. “I have to see Lex Luthor, it is a matter of supreme urgency,” he went on to explain.

Chloe got up from her seat and moved to peer around the corner. Beyond her, she saw two orderlies and a nurse trying to calm down a somewhat scruffy, dark-skinned man, who seemed quite determined he must see Lex. He only gave up when he was told of the young Mr Luthor's near-comatose state, which seemed to not only quieten the guy down but send him practically running from the hospital. The nurse and orderlies soon dispersed, one staying behind to ask the lady at the Reception desk to inform security that Dr Hamilton was not to be let into the premises again.

Chloe heard the name and vaguely made a mental note, though her attention was really taken by something on the floor. Almost certain that the small battered book had fallen from a pocket of the elusive doctor who had been there a moment before, Chole hurried to retrieve it.

“The Nicodemus Diary,” she said to herself as she read the cover, glancing back at Lex’s room and then towards the exit through which Dr Hamilton had left.

Simultaneously grabbing for her cell and making for the door, Chloe had the phone dialling Paul’s number within seconds of clearing the doors. Finally, she felt she had a plan to help Lex, though she wasn’t looking forward to what came next, not one little bit.


	15. Chapter 15

Chloe tried to keep her calm as she drove towards the Luthor Mansion. She didn’t like what she was about to do but she was all out of options. In times of crisis, when she needed help, the obvious person to turn to was Lex, but now it was him that was in trouble and there was a limited number of people who could help. Trust wasn’t so much an issue. For all that he’d done to hurt her, Chloe knew she could go to Clark with the information she had and he would try to be of help, not just for her but for Lex’s sake too, as well as his own father. Unfortunately, Chloe knew there was nothing her farmboy friend could do, no more than she herself was doing right now.

Running her hand under her eye, Chloe caught the stray tear that dared to fall, braced herself on the steering wheel and put her foot down harder on the accelerator. She was no use to Lex sitting in her car bawling like a baby. She had to save his life, or at the very least, go and find a person that could make that happen.

At least when she left the hospital she did not leave a space in the waiting area. Paul understood why she was asking him to be there, even if he and Lex really didn’t know each other that well. Somebody had to be there waiting in case anything happened. To Chloe’s mind, nobody should die alone, and besides there was still a slim chance that something good might happen and then she needed to know about it. Of course, that chance was getting slimmer every minute that ticked by.

Reaching the gates of the Luthor Mansion, it took no effort at all to get past security. They were used to Miss Sullivan's visits by now and let her in without question. Kind of dangerous, when Chloe thought about it, but then security had never been a strong point at this particular house. Sure, they had the guys and the gates and all, but it wasn’t that hard to get around, people proved that almost daily, from what Lex had told her.

“Into the belly of the beast,” said Chloe to herself as she got out of her car and looked up at the building that had gone from welcoming right back to imposing inside a few hours.

The difference was, of course, that today this was not her friend Lex’s home, but Lionel Luthor’s castle. Chloe wasn’t about to admit to being scared of the old man, but she sure wasn’t eager to face him either. Unfortunately, he was just about the only person she knew that could handle this problem, the only one who might just have enough money and power, as well as enough good feeling for Lex to ensure his life was saved.

She was taken to an office, across the hall from where Lex usually worked, and Chloe kept as calm as possible when brought to face the mighty Lionel Luthor. He was stood by the window staring out, hands clasped behind his back, apparently ignoring her presence altogether, until the guy who brought her in was completely gone, the doors closed tight shut behind him.

“Ah, Miss Sullivan, I presume,” said Lionel as he finally turned and looked her over.

“Mr Luthor,” replied Chloe, trying not to squirm under his intense gaze that was just this side of dirty old man. "Thank you for seeing me,” she said politely.

Though this was the last man she should ever want to find politeness for, she had to try. She would rather tear him down for the awful way she was sure he treated Lex, but right now he was just about the only person who could save that same man. She had to hold her tongue as best she could, Lex’s life may depend upon it.

“I have to say I was quite intrigued to hear you wished to see me,” said Lionel, actually looking fascinated as he rounded his desk and sat down on the front edge facing Chloe, “the elusive schoolgirl friend of my only son,” he called her, and she swallowed hard at the obvious implication he put into those words.

“Hardly elusive,” she countered, letting the comment about her young age slide. “I’m here often enough,” she pointed out, as he gestured she should sit down and she did so.

“Ah, yes, but never when I am to visit.” Lionel smiled, putting Chloe in mind of a wolf or perhaps the crocodile from Peter Pan, looking friendly whilst planning how best to swallow you down. “I do believe, Miss Sullivan, that it was Lex’s greatest wish to keep us apart. Now why do you suppose that might be?” he said, as if he were genuinely thoughtful on the subject.

Chloe knew what he was doing, she understood the games played here and she was not about to be dragged into one, not now.

“I honestly wouldn’t know, and right now I can’t care,” she snapped.

It disgusted her that he could speak like this, make this whole situation some sick and twisted contest, a challenge for her to pass. All this was filling his mind whilst his son lay comatose in a hospital. It was all she cared about, she was only a recent friend, though she wished to be more. How a father could be so uncaring she had no idea.

“Miss Sullivan,” the look on his face when he spoke then suggested she was about to be told to watch her tongue or at the very least moderate her tone, but there was no time to care right now.

“Mr Luthor, Lex’s life could be hanging in the balance and not even the specialist doctors seem to know how to help,” she cut in fast, getting up from her seat to hand over the book she’d found to the man she already loathed, despite only a few minutes acquaintance. “I think I might have the answer,” she said as he stared first at her and then at the small book she handed him.

“The Nicodemus Diary?” he read aloud, a frown covering his face as he flipped a page or two. “What would this have to do with Lex’s condition?”

“I don’t know exactly,” admitted Chloe, shaking her head, “but I have a theory. I saw Dr Hamilton at the hospital ranting about seeing Lex. When he was told about Lex’s condition, he practically ran out of the door, dropping this book on the way. Dr Hamilton is well-known in Smallville for his theories about meteor rocks, and in turn, the rocks are well known for a huge number of strange occurrences and medical conditions.”

Barely looking at the book she handed him, Lionel Luthor seemed unmoved by the words Chloe spoke, but then Lex could often be accused of showing little or no emotion when she felt it would be necessary. Clearly, son had learnt from father, such was the way of things. She only hoped that Lex never completely turned into a man as cold as this.

“If I may say, Miss Sullivan,” said Lionel with a sideways glance, “so far you are working on a lot of hypothetical information.”

“Right now, it’s all we have, Mr Luthor,” she told him, trying in vain to keep both her anger and tears in check. “If I’m right, there’s a good chance that Dr Hamilton somehow used meteor rocks to bring this plant back to life,” she explained, pointing to the picture on the Nicodemus on the front of the diary, “and that the three men currently lying in a hospital fighting for their lives, including your son, came into contact with that plant, with dire results.”

Chloe hoped the words she said were sinking in, hoped to God that Lionel Luthor wasn’t the complete monster he seemed. He had to love his son at least enough to keep him alive, she was sure of it, and yet observing him as he pulled on his glasses and thumbed the pages of the book in his hands, she started to wonder. Could anyone really stay so calm in the face of such news about their only son?

“Now I have a hypothesis for you, Miss Sullivan,” he told her at length, just when Chloe felt she was going to crazy from waiting for him to speak again. “Assuming that I believe the theory you have put before me,” he cleared his throat and continued, waving the book at her, “what do you expect me to do next?”

“I thought that was obvious,” she said, trying in vain to keep her cool. “You have resources I could only dream of. Access to doctors, scientists, some of the greatest minds in the country, maybe even the world,” she explained what she was certain he already knew. “What I expect, despite everything Lex has told me about you, is for you to want to save your son’s life,” she told him, knowing there was little more she could do, that she had probably already said much more than she should have to such a man as Lionel Luthor.

Turning to go, Chloe just silently prayed with all she had that her words had meant something to Lex’s father. She could do no more now than be there for her best friend, a man she knew she loved, and hope he would soon recover. Clearly Lionel was not happy about her need to make a hasty exit.

“Miss Sullivan!” he called behind her, but she could not do this anymore, could not bear to continue this ridiculous scene with him.

“My part in this is done,” she said, turning back to face him just for a moment and finding him now on his feet, staring down at her. “Now, I’m going back to the hospital to watch over _your_ son,” she told him with particular emphasis meant to prick his conscious they both knew, assuming that he had one. “Good bye, Mr Luthor,” she said firmly

This time she refused to look back even for a second as she stormed out of the door.

* * *

Despite her bravado, Chloe was still shaking when she arrived back at the hospital to find Paul exactly where she left him, his now bruised nose in a book until her shadow fell over him. Immediately, he abandoned his paperback and got to his feet to hug her.

“How did it go?” he asked, not sure what to say when she pulled away and shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s impossible to say with a guy like Lionel Luthor,” she sighed as they sat down together. “How are things here?”

“I wish I had good news,” said Paul sadly. “I overheard the nurses talking. They say Beales is in a coma, Mr Kent doesn’t look good, and even though Lex is stable... I’m sorry, Chloe, but it’s all about time.” He shook his head. “The longer this goes on, the worse it looks.”

Chloe didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t bear to think things wouldn’t work out, that Lex might not come through this. There was no choice, it just couldn’t happen, she thought to herself, as she leant her head forward into her hands and ran her fingers back through her hair.

“Paul, I am so scared,” she told him when she finally looked up again, crying hard once again as he pulled her close, holding her tight and letting her tears soak his shoulder. “When I saw him, I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what to do, I... I should’ve figured it out sooner!” she cried.

“Hey, you cannot beat yourself up over this,” said Paul gently as they parted. “How could you know what was happening?”

“The minute he came into the room, I knew something was wrong,” she said, shaking her head, wiping tears from her cheeks as soon as she realised they were still falling. “He was different, he just... he seemed different.”

“Different how?” asked Paul in earnest, though he understood almost immediately when Chloe turned her face away, unable to meet his eyes. “You mean when he came onto you,” he said, not a question but a statement as he already knew he was right in what he said.

He’d seen the kiss and was sure that had never happened before. Chloe would have mentioned something like that, he was positive.

“I should’ve stopped him.” She shook her head, looking as embarrassed as she was ashamed of herself, turning her head away from his gaze. “I should’ve asked what was wrong, something had to be.”

“Chloe, come on,” said Paul, putting his hand to her arm and making her look at him. “Is it so crazy to believe he likes you that way?” he asked her seriously. “You like him just the same,” he said easily, knowing it was true in spite of the fact Chloe had never actually told him such a thing.

“Lex and I are friends,” she said immediately, apparently determined to deny the point that was already stupidly obvious to Paul. “Okay, very good friends,” she conceded, “but that is all.”

Paul couldn’t help the smirk that settled on his face. For an actress, and a pretty good one at that, Chloe Sullivan was never going to win an Oscar for this particular performance. He shot her a look that said he couldn’t believe a word of this, and told her that fact before she had a chance to protest.

“Come on, Chloe,” he said kindly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek that she’d clearly missed. “It’s obvious you feel more than just friendship for Lex. I see the way you look at him sometimes, and that dreamy expression when you talk about him.” He rolled his eyes at how pathetic she might seem, were she not such a complete sweetheart. “It’s not just a friendship thing, not a chance.”

Paul couldn’t quite understand why Chloe looked so ashamed of herself. Sure, the Luthors had a bad reputation in the town, but Paul held no personal grudge, and so far Lex had proven himself to be nothing but a good friend to Chloe. He couldn’t count today’s events, not when Lex was clearly under the influence of something he couldn’t control. He seemed like a decent guy, and age gap not withstanding, there was little to no reason for Chloe and Lex not to like each other, nor any reason why she in particular should feel ashamed about having feelings for him.

“I’m sorry, Paul,” she said with a shake of her head, “I can’t help it. I never meant to fall for Lex and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you,” she said fast, picking up his hand in both of hers. “I just really don’t want to lose you as a friend,” she said, clearly desperate to retain their friendship, for which Paul was eternally grateful.

“Chloe, why would you lose me as a friend just because you have feelings for Lex?” he asked her, truly in earnest apparently, as he held her hand just as tight as her grip on his. “I mean, I know that family have a bad reputation, but if he treats you right and makes you happy...” he trailed off, completely at a loss, more so than ever when Chloe’s hand covered her mouth and she turned away.

“Oh my God, I am so conceited!” she berated herself immediately, stumbling over the awkward confession that came next. “I actually... I can’t believe this, but I thought you liked me,” she said with particular emphasis.

Paul truly hadn’t understood her worries until that moment and, realising how distressed she really was, had to make a particular effort not to laugh at her struggles.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he declared, not sure whether to be pleased or concerned that she’d made such a mistake. “That would make things a lot more complicated for me than it ever would for you,” he promised her, putting a hand to her shoulder as he looked into her frowning face and explained as gently as he could. “I mean, I know it’s not uber-obvious and trust me that’s a purposeful thing but... I’m gay.”

As if that bombshell were not enough to shake her world, Chloe had another blow still to come as nurses ran from the room behind her and called for a doctor to attend an emergency. She and Paul soon realised that Jonathan Kent’s condition had worsened, and he had fallen into a coma too. Lex only had a matter of hours before he joined the first two victims in deep unconsciousness, and God only knew how long after that the worst would happen.


	16. Chapter 16

This had been the longest twenty four hours of Chloe’s whole life, she was certain of it, and most definitely some of her most scary moments were rolled up in it. She had spent most of her time sat in the hospital, almost always as close to Lex’s room as she was allowed. Concerned for possible spreading of infection, the doctors were less than eager to let her or the Kents in to see those that were suffering. Chloe had ended up sat with Clark only once, as he ran around Smallville, his saviour complex having kicked in full force.

At the earliest opportunity, Chloe had planned to tell him everything was under control, that she had made her discovery about the Nicodemus and passed it on to Lionel and his associates. When the moment came, she couldn’t do it. She knew she couldn’t raise his hopes given the way Lex’s father had behaved when she went to see him. There was absolutely no guarantees that a man like Lionel Luthor would ever do the right thing by his son, in fact, there was far more likelihood he would do the complete opposite. Besides which, even if he had enough conscience to save his only child, Chloe wondered if he would be so forthcoming when it came to saving Jonathan Kent and a hapless employee in the form of Jason Beales.

In the end, the miracle had happened, and Chloe had been woken by Paul, her greatest friend next to Lex, jostling her shoulder and bringing her attention to medical staff chattering in the halls. A man in a white coat was suddenly striding towards the room where the victims of the Nicodemus waited. Unfortunately for Beales, he was too late, that man was too far beyond help and had passed away just moments before.

Chloe had cried great heaving sobs for the man she never knew, perhaps only because she was so relieved to know Lex had not suffered the fate that could so easily have been his. With Jonathan and Lex finally on the mend, those that loved them were allowed in to see them.

Still sleepy from the strain on his body and the drugs in his system, Lex did not seem altogether in the land of the living when Chloe entered his now private hospital room. She hovered in the doorway a moment feeling strangely awkward, then finally told herself to get over it and strode on in. Sitting down in the seat by the bed, she carefully reached for Lex’s hand and wrapped her fingers around his own.

In what seemed like slow motion, the man she loved who didn’t even know it, opened his eyes and peered over at her with a smile curving his lips.

“Chloe.”

The sound of her name in his voice was all she had wanted to hear from the moment he’d passed out on her at the school to now.

“It’s okay, Lex,” she promised him, further tears sparkling in her eyes and surprising her since Chloe was sure she had no more emotion to give. “You’re fine now, or you will be,” she promised him, squeezing his hand. “You’re gonna be fine,” she cried, unable to help herself, immediately berating herself for the ridiculous behaviour. “God, I’m such a cry baby today.” She tried to laugh through it but failed miserably as she wiped her own tears away, something Lex wished to God he had the strength to do for her.

Tear tracks did not belong on such a pretty face, pain should never be seen in such beautiful eyes. Chloe was too good for him, too special to be tainted by him and his wretched life. All this was his doing, he knew. He recalled too clearly the last concrete thing he’d done before a strange mist descended and took away his inhibitions and restraint. This was all down to Dr Hamilton and the research he’d done, but that man alone could not be blamed for landing three people in the hospital, for letting one innocent person die.

Lex had financed that research, insisting he needed to know all about the meteor rocks that Smallville possessed. He had brought this upon himself, as well as the other two. He had brought pain and suffering to two good friends, and hurting Chloe most especially was breaking the heart that few knew he even possessed.

“Chloe, I’m so sorry,” he told her, and though of course she knew nothing of the thought process inside his mind, she easily caught on to what his apology was for.

It didn’t take much figuring out. Dr Hamilton could not do his research without backing, the man didn’t even have a real lab, just a barn in the middle of nowhere. Someone rich was paying his way, and given Lionel’s genuine surprise at the information she had passed his way, Chloe was pretty certain this was all Lex’s doing in a roundabout way. Still, she would not judge or blame him. Not a person she knew was perfect, certainly not herself, and she could understand Lex’s need to have the truth of everything.

“Doesn’t matter,” she assured him. “Just, next time you have some freaky scientist do your bidding, stay away from his work 'til you’re sure he has an antidote ready-made for all the poisons, okay?” she told him, her tone somewhere between serious and joking since it was such a strange thing to have to say.

Lex was astounded. He could hardly believe that Chloe had figured out what had happened here, and more than that was willing to forgive him for what he’d done. His surprise and awe clearly showed on his face as she replied to the reaction almost immediately.

“There was a time at the mansion,” she said with a smile she had no control over. “I came to borrow your original old English version of Romeo and Juliet because I wanted to see how Shakespeare really wrote it,” she reminded him and he nodded slightly as proof he recalled the day at least. “You said I was truthseeker, just like you, Lex,” she told him, making him smile at the memory he himself held. “We can’t be blamed for wanting to know what’s going on around us and why.” She shook her head. “We are what we are, Lex, and you should know by now that what you are is fine with me,” she promised, squeezing his hand tight in hers. “You’re my best friend, and when I thought I might lose you I...” She couldn’t go on, couldn’t let herself break down again, it was doing no good.

She let her head drop onto the edge of the bed then, Lex’s hand reached out to run his fingers through her hair, the only comfort he could offer in his present state. She wasn’t sure if she had intended to make a confession here or not. Telling Lex that she had gone to Lionel with the information she had would not make him happy, she was certain, but finding out about it from the man himself, the twisted nasty version he might tell, Chloe could not imagine it was worth the risk of that happening. This was why, as soon as she regained control of her emotions, she lifted her head to look at Lex, his hand falling and brushing her cheek before landing back on the bed.

“I have to tell you something,” she said, sniffling some at first. “After I found out about the Nicodemus, I didn’t know what to do. With that kind of thing, I would’ve run to you, but it was you that needed saving and...”

“You went to my father,” he filled in for her, already certain it was true, and knowing he was both correct and had stunned her when her eyes went almost comically wide at the sound of his words. “Chloe, I may be sick but I’m not stupid,” he reminded her. “I recognised the specialist that came to treat me, not a man Smallville General could afford to have here. My father had to be involved and someone would have had to give him the right information and prick his conscience if he was going to save me,” he said, voice getting quieter towards the end of what he said.

Chloe honestly wasn’t sure if he was just running out of steam because his body had been through so much, or if he was hurt and ashamed not to have enough of his father's love in order to ensure his life without encouragement. All she could hope for was that he understood she’d done what she must to save him, whatever the long term consequences might be.

“Your father is going to ruin your research,” she said, certain it was true, though the thought hadn’t really occurred to her until after her meeting with Lionel Luthor.

She had been fuelled by her want and need to save Lex alone, there was nothing else in her mind when she drove over to the mansion and handed over the information she knew. Now she saw clearly the repercussions of what she had done and worried what that meant for the friendship she had worked so hard to keep, no matter what.

“Perhaps he will,” agreed Lex with a nod of his head, before a tired sigh escaped his lips. “Right now, I can’t care about that,” he admitted, feeling drained from the whole ordeal. “My priority is getting out of this place. I hate hospitals,” he said flatly.

Chloe understood his problem with medical places. She hated them too, though his reasons were far worse. Lex’s mother had cancer and died of that disease. No doubt Lex spent hours and days in the hospital with her when he was a child, loathing the sights and smells of the place, waiting to hear whether his much-loved mom had survived another day, another night. It broke Chloe’s heart to think of it, and quickly she attempted a change of subject and a lightening of the mood.

“You need to be out of here fast, Mister,” she told him mock-sternly. “My play is only a month away and I’m gonna need all the help I can get,” she told him, glad to see he at least managed to raise a smirk at that.

What worried her momentarily was when that brief look of a semi-smile was quickly replaced by a deep frown.

“Chloe...” he said, looking thoughtful a long moment, staring at her with such an odd expression as if he were trying to see something that wasn’t there or maybe just remember something. “Did I see you?” he asked then, the question vague enough she really wasn’t sure what he meant.

“I don’t understand,” she told him, with a shake of her head. “Did you see me, when?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, not really certain of his own meaning now that she asked. “I just... I really don’t remember much of anything after the flower sprayed me,” he explained, “but there’s a hazy picture of you... in a long dress.”

Chloe bit her lip then, mindful of the conversation that came next. The nurse had told her Lex recalled nothing of his actions under the influence of the Nicodemus, and yet it seemed that was not quite true. Her in a long dress, it had to be as she was dressed as Juliet when he came to see her. Changing out of those clothes was something Paul insisted she did in the space of time between Lex passing out and the ambulance arriving, thus her friend had not seen her dressed that way when he was not ‘under the influence’. Now came the choice, did she lie to him to save embarrassment for the both of them, or be the best friend she claimed to be and tell the truth?

“Chloe, if I did anything... if I said anything awful...” he urged her to be honest and she could not deny him that.

“You weren’t yourself,” she admitted, closing her eyes tight. “You might’ve kissed me, and then when Paul came in, you might’ve hit him,” she rattled off fast, opening her eyes a second later but barely able to look at him as she continued. “It’s no big deal, Lex, it was just the weird flower effects, and you should forget I ever told you,” she told him, hoping rather than believing he would let it go.

Given what she had said, it was hardly likely he was just going to sweep such behaviour under the rug. Lex Luthor was not used to losing control. Being told he had done exactly that, and the actions he had taken during that time, would probably shock and upset him.

“I’m so sorry,” he said then. “Chloe, you know I would never...” he tried to tell her but she shook her head and held up a hand to silence him.

“Forget it, Lex,” she told him perhaps a little too sharply, but she just couldn’t hear those words from him.

It was bad enough that he had to be in a sick state of fever to make a move on her. To have him reaffirm that he would never do such a thing under ordinary circumstances was just salt in an already painful wound that Chloe could well do without. She had to not focus on her feelings for Lex right now, it was hardly the time or place to discuss it. He’d been crazy when he kissed her, or so it seemed, and there was no use pretending he might feel anything more for her. She had wondered for a while, but clearly she was wrong. Chloe could live with just being Lex’s friend, but she couldn’t talk about it right now.

“I should probably go, let you rest,” she said then, moving to get up from her seat, only to have him grab her hand and stop her hasty exit.

“Thank you, Chloe,” he said sincerely as she looked down and met his gaze. “What you did probably saved my life.”

“Like you wouldn’t do the same for me,” she said, waving away the seriousness of a moment too intense to handle right now. “Besides, I pretty much screwed your research and made things ten times worse with your father.” She shook her head, hating that this was also true.

“Small price to pay.” Lex shrugged, not letting her get out of it that easily. “You did what you had to do, Chloe. I won’t forget.”

All the little blonde could do then was nod her head and force her eyes away from his intense gaze. Perhaps she deserved his gratitude, but she’d meant what she said, all of it. Lex would have done just the same for her, she believed that wholeheartedly, and she was sure she had made things more difficult between father and son than they ever had been before.

“I really have to go,” she tried again to leave, and though he was reluctant to do so, Lex finally let her leave the room.

When she was gone, he rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to comprehend how he had come to be lying to a young woman who often called herself his best friend. She had saved his life today; if that didn’t reaffirm their close relationship then nothing ever would.

Still, when he spoke of vague memories of his time under the influence of the Nicodemus, he had been acting as well as Chloe would try to do as Juliet just a few short weeks from now. In truth, Lex recalled every detail in glorious Technicolor. He remembered going to see Chloe, feeling free as a bird, wanting to share with her the feelings he’d harboured so long. His inhibitions floating away on a cloud, he was left with only a hunger for a young woman that barely earned the title, and a love burning in his heart he hardly knew possible.

When he kissed her, it was such a moment of relief and passion combined, and she had definitely been responding. There was no doubt in his mind that whilst Chloe was happy enough to be his friend for now, a school girl crush or possibly infinitely more was on her mind and in her heart too.

Hitting Paul had been pretty dumb, and recalling how he accidentally knocked Chloe to the ground as a consequence made Lex wince just at the memory. Still, he had been out of control. The whole thing was so clear, but at the same time, almost as if he had dreamt it, as if he relinquished control of his mind and body to an alternate version of himself who just didn’t care what happened next.

Consequences could not be damned and ignored, Lex knew that better than anyone, and it was this that resonated as his final thought before he drifted back off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chloe was starting to hate waiting outside of rooms until other people were ready to see her. She had done it far too much these past few weeks. The hospital made her wait to see Lex; bodyguards and servant types made her wait to speak with Lionel Luthor, and now the school Drama teacher needed to have a private word with Paul, apparently, leaving Miss Sullivan once again out in the hall waiting.

Pacing up and down wasn’t helping, but Chloe did so hate being out of the loop. She had the lead part in the play, surely whatever was being said to Paul, she had a right to know too, but unfortunately it seemed Mr Bronson had other ideas about that.

With a sigh, Chloe leant her back against the wall by the door. Two weeks until curtain up on her big performance, that was her biggest problem. All these little things she was letting stress her out, a lot of it came back to that. Why she had ever thought joining Drama Club and auditioning for the lead role in Romeo and Juliet was a good idea was beyond her now. Sure, she was having fun, learning lines and dressing up in a fancy costume and all. It was certainly taking her mind off losing The Torch... most of the time anyway. She still winced when each new issue came out, a shadow of its former glory that hardly anyone read and was fast going into decline.

Chloe tried to ignore the fact her old project was slowly being destroyed, tried to rejoice in the failings of Clark and Lana who had been so clever when they took over her world. She couldn’t do it, couldn’t hate them so very much, and certainly couldn’t be glad that something she put so much work into was now going down the toilet.

“Why is life never any less complicated?” she asked herself with a further sigh.

School and its related activities were not her only worries, of course. Chloe’s social life was hardly less stressful as she thought over recent events. Her circle of friends had not decreased at all, in fact, despite spending much less time with Clark, Lana, and Pete than ever before, she had gained not only Lex and Paul as friends, but several of the guys and girls in Drama Club, and other people who had perhaps decided they would dare to talk to her now that all their secrets had no chance of ending up in print the very next week.

The real problem for Chloe was her feelings for Lex. A better best friend she could not wish for, but she was sure now that was all he would ever want to be to her - a friend. That would have been fine a few months ago, but it had been a while now since Chloe came to realise what had seemed like a passing attraction was so very much more. Nearly losing Lex to the poison of the Nicodemus, only made her more acutely aware of the fact she could not live without him, never wanted to lose him from her life in any way.

Of course, that would be as true of a best friend as anything else, but Chloe knew her own heart. She loved Lex, and not just like a friend, certainly not like a brother. Every day she knew she was falling a little more in love, and every time she thought of it, she felt a little worse, knowing he didn’t feel the same, even though she had never spoken to him about it.

Lex so regretted his actions when he kissed her and had never shown any signs of wanting her in such a way, besides that poison-induced moment. They were friends now and would always be so, she was determined to be strong and just let things be as they were, even if it was starting to tear her apart on the inside.

“Chloe?” Paul’s voice snapped her from a thoughtful daze and she looked up at him expectantly as he came to stand before her. “I have good news and bad news” he told her.

“Bad news first, get it over with” she told him, bracing herself for whatever came next.

“Scott Mahoney can’t be your Romeo anymore. The reason he missed the last couple of rehearsals is because he’s sick - the guy has mono,” he explained, as Chloe’s eyes went wide.

“Oh my God!” she gasped. “Poor Scott. Though I have to say, I have never been so glad that we didn’t get as far as actually practising the kissing scenes.” She smiled in spite of the suffering of her fellow cast mate.

“Now for the good news,” said Paul, trying not to grin too much. “Or should I say the absolutely awesome news...” he went on.

A light suddenly dawned in Chloe’s mind and she realised why he was so happy about this.

“Of course, you’re the understudy!” She smiled back at him just as widely. “You got the part!” she enthused, throwing her arms around him. “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you,” she assured him, as they hugged each other tightly.

“I’m glad,” he chuckled near her ear before releasing her, “but Chloe, are you sure you’re okay with this?” he checked, looking down at her more seriously now, studying her face in an attempt to get a completely honest reaction in answer. “I mean, you know what I am,” he said with a pointed look. “Are you okay about playing romance with a guy that’s... not feeling it?” he said, mindful of anybody overhearing this awkward conversation.

“Paul, that’s crazy,” she told him, slapping him across the shoulder. “Like that makes a difference to me.” She rolled her eyes, “I personally would think it’s much harder for you. I mean, you’re a good looking guy and I like that in a person.” She giggled somewhat nervously, feeling odd about what she was trying to say. “I’m not exactly what you find attractive, am I?”

“Not exactly,” he agreed, sure he wouldn’t hurt her with such a comment now she knew the truth of his sexuality, “but it’s cool. When we have to kiss and all, I’ll just, y’know, picture Johnny Depp.” He shrugged easily. “And I won’t be at all offended if you’re seeing Lex Luthor behind those pretty green eyes of yours,” he told her with a playful shove as they turned to walk off down the hall.

Chloe thought about denying her feelings, telling Paul she pleaded temporary insanity for what she’d told him about her love for Lex, but it would do no good. He could read her like a book and he’d know she was lying her ass off. Even she wasn’t such a good actress she could fool him on this, so there was really no use in trying.

“I wonder who Lex would picture in his head?” she thought aloud. “One thing’s for sure, it wouldn’t be me” she sighed.

“Chloe Sullivan, you quit feeling sorry for yourself, right now,” her friend commanded in such a way as to make her laugh in spite of herself. “Seriously, sweetheart, I’ve seen the way Lex is with you. He probably feels a lot more than you think.”

“Then why not act more like it?” she asked grumpily as they headed outside and across the parking lot.

“It’s complicated, Chloe. These things always are,” Paul reminded her. “For you two, with the age gap and the different social standing and everything, you know it would be awkward for the guy. He’s probably just being responsible and sensible, being sure of what he feels and what you might feel before he does anything about it,” he reasoned, as they reached her car and got in.

“Why is everyone so mature and sensible lately?” she said like a grumpy kid as she pulled her seat belt across and sighed. “Even Clark is making me look bad, playing the grown up older brother part to that Ryan kid.”

“It’s not like you aren’t mature yourself,” said Paul, glancing at her as Chloe pouted and whined. “Well, maybe not right this second...” he reased. "C’mon, Chlo. I’m sure Lex sees you as a woman more than a kid, but if you start acting like this in front of him, he’s going to change his mind,” he pointed out as he fastened his own seatbelt and waited for her to drive.

There was a long moment's pause where Chloe’s hand hovered at the ignition but did not start the car. She was thinking on what Paul had just said. Perhaps it was just her age that had Lex keeping his distance from her. Perhaps he was worried about scaring or hurting her if he moved too fast. Maybe if she didn’t talk about school so much and concentrated on other more important topics he’d see her more as the woman she was fast becoming, than the teenager she really was in terms of age.

“Y’know what, Paul?” she said then, as she started the car and put it into reverse gear to back out of the school parking lot. “You are so right.”

“Always am, babe,” he told her with a jokey wink before pushing his sunglasses onto his face. “Always am.”

* * *

Lex was concentrating so hard on his paperwork he honestly didn’t notice Chloe come into the office until she was stood right in front of his desk, knocking on the surface to get his attention.

“Chloe.” He smiled genuinely at the sight of her. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

She looked much less happy, a frown marring her pretty face as he looked up at her. In turn, this worried Lex, and the smile faltered on his lips.

“You’re stressing,” she noted, observant as ever. “Lex, you shouldn’t be working so hard, you’ve barely been out of hospital five minutes...” she tried to tell him and though he knew she only meant to be a good friend, he didn’t entirely appreciate being told how to live his life by anybody.

“I’m fine,” he assured her as he put his hands to the desk and got up from his seat, moving around the desk and leading her by the arm over to the couch to sit down. “Not that I don’t appreciate the friendly concern and all, but it’s been almost two weeks and I feel just fine,” he promised as they sat down together.

Chloe was forced to agree that he did look fine, more than fine, but that was a whole other story and so not a conversation she could afford to get into right now. It seemed to her that the more she tried to act normal and grown up and everything round Lex, the more she failed miserably in her attempts. For a young woman who had thrown herself into acting lately, she wasn’t playing this particular part very well. She wanted to be so much more than just Lex’s friend, but right now complicating things further was not going to help anyone, she knew. Getting burned with Clark had taught her that.

“So, how are things with your father?” she asked him. “I can’t imagine he’s going any easier on you just because you were sick.” She winced some just talking about the awkward situation she knew full well she had caused.

Lex thought about telling her it wasn’t her fault, but that would be an out and out lie, and she was just too smart to be fooled by it. Instead he just shook is head and sighed as he got up from the couch to fetch them both a drink. It was perhaps a little early for him to start on the scotch and he knew he was being a bad influence on Chloe by drinking alcohol in front of her at all, but if he was going to have to talk about his father, Lex was going to need a little help to get through it.

“He was far from happy about my... shall we say, extra-curricular activities?” He smirked a little at his own phrasing. “Pleading ignorance was never going to work with him, but he couldn’t do much about it except be angry that I cut him out of a deal.” He shrugged as he returned to his seat, scotch in hand, and a soda for Chloe that she gratefully accepted. “Dr Hamilton was gone from Smallville within minutes of my leaving the hospital, hidden away where my father will never find him, along with every scrap of research.”

“Another problem all cleaned up,” said Chloe, looking suitably impressed by his business dealings as she clinked her glass against his own, with a smile. “Maybe I didn’t mess up as much as I thought.”

“You know, Chloe, I never for a minute blamed you for your actions concerning my father,” Lex told her, immediately the words left her lips and she cast her eyes down into her drink. “You saved my life,” he reminded her, picking up her hand in his and squeezing it. “If you hadn’t done what you had to, I wouldn’t be here.”

Chloe couldn’t breathe when Lex looked at her that way, with such an intensity in his eyes that she could hardly bear it, and yet at the same time she wished she could be forever in such a moment. This was gratitude and friendship and a great many other things she was sure, but she had to mentally kick herself as a reminder that nothing could happen. Lex was unlikely to feel as deeply for her as she did for him, and even if he could love her, now was not the time for such declarations. Throwing herself at him was not going to help anyone, that was for sure, but sitting here in this moment, it was really all she wanted to do.

Shaking her head to clear the daze she had found herself caught in, Chloe gulped down half her soda and then moved to put the glass on the table, her hand very deliberately slipping free of Lex’s own. She knew he was watching her, perhaps wondering why she was being weird, but he said not a word and for that she was grateful.

“So, I actually came here to give you some news,” she said then, righting herself on the couch and tucking her legs up under her body. “It has a bad and a good side,” she went on to explain, as Lex sipped his scotch and listened. “Scott, the guy who was supposed to be Romeo, he came down with mono. Sucks for him, obviously, but thankfully, we never got to actually going for it on the kissing scenes, and - excellent news follows here: Paul gets to play the lead now! Isn’t that great?” she enthused, grinning wide.

Lex looked less than pleased.

“That is... great,” he ground out, downing the rest of his scotch in one and going for a refill.

Chloe frowned some at his behaviour.

“Are you okay?” she checked, “I mean. you don’t have a problem with Paul, do you? I thought you guys got along.”

“Of course.” Lex nodded once as he refilled his glass. “Seems like you two are very good friends.”

“Well, yeah,” Chloe agreed easily, watching Lex as he threw down another drink.

It hit her then, right between the eyes. Lex didn’t like the idea of her getting closer to Paul, especially not up close and personal as she would have to get playing Juliet to his Romeo. Of course, her best friend didn’t know the truth of the matter was that she actually stood less chance than he did with Paul. She smiled at the realisation and opened her mouth to tell Lex that it made no difference, that Paul was gay, but before she had even said a word she changed her mind, closing her mouth tight shut before he ever turned around to look at her again.

It wasn’t exactly the sensible, mature, adult way to behave, but Chloe just couldn’t help herself. She was certain now that flash in Lex’s eyes had been jealousy, and she planned to use that to her best advantage. It wasn’t as if she was telling lies exactly, she hadn’t said she and Paul were a couple or that she ever planned on dating him, she’d just skipped over the fact it would do her no good to long for a guy that only did the same for other men himself.

Jealousy meant feelings at least, meant Lex would prefer to keep Chloe to himself. That possessiveness might be unpleasant to some women who hated the idea of being owned. Chloe was independent enough to understand that opinion, but right now, she’d give anything for Lex to see her as his own, in any way at all that he wanted. If that meant keeping her mouth shut about Paul’s sexuality, hell, she’d do that, and a whole lot more besides, truth be told.


	18. Chapter 18

Smallville High presents Romeo and Juliet.

The banner above the main doors told the world the name of a play, but it could not say how hard all the students had worked, from set painters to costume makers, through the young actors and actresses themselves who had toiled tirelessly to learn their lines and cues, their stage left from their stage right, and the correct way to act and speak when performing Shakespeare’s finest tragic love story.

Lex felt oddly proud as he sat two rows from the front of the school’s auditorium, waiting for the show to begin. It felt strange to be sat behind smiling parents and friends of high schoolers, feeling as happy to be there as they were, as eager to see how his friend did in her part. Of course, Chloe had become so much more than just a friend to Lex. Not that he told her or anyone else that he thought that, because it was bound to be misinterpreted, or worse, interpreted correctly! Having feelings for a girl of fifteen should make him feel sick with himself, but Chloe so rarely behaved as such a youngster. She was all woman in her manner and her mind, even in her beauty to Lex, and never more so than tonight, he was soon to realise, as the audience was encouraged to hush and a Narrator’s voice began the opening passage of the play.

Lex felt strangely nervous, whether it were for his own sake or on Chloe’s behalf he could not be entirely certain, but he felt it nevertheless, as he waited for her first scene to start. When she walked out in a flowing gown, reciting her well learnt lines of Juliet, she astounded him even more so than he had thought she might. She was every inch the part, never wavering a second. She knew every word by heart and every action just the same, a perfectionist very much as he himself was, and Lex felt that strange but warm feeling of pride once again.

Of course, his emotions took a rather nasty turn the very first scene that Romeo and Juliet shared. She was going to kiss him, he knew she was, he knew she had to, and yet Lex still felt his face contort, along with his insides, an all over wincing as Chloe and Paul leaned in to each other and their lips met. It shouldn’t matter to him, he was her friend not her boyfriend, and not a father or brother that would be concerned for her being taken advantage of either. Lex had no rights and no claims over Chloe Sullivan, but that didn’t stop him feeling sick to the stomach as she acted her part in this play, and kissed a man that was not him.

Up on stage, Chloe was oblivious to the audience below her. So caught up in the moment was she that the whole crowd watching her could have fallen down a crater and she probably wouldn’t’ve noticed. Concentration was key, recalling every line and movement so as not to mess up. She was so determined that after all her hard work, after everybody’s hard work, this play was going to start and finish perfectly, with everything in between going right too.

She couldn’t lie to herself, it was kind of strange making eyes at Paul and kissing his lips. He was such a good friend and she loved him as such, but she never really got a chance to develop a romantic feeling for him before she was overcome by what she felt for Lex. With Paul being gay it was probably for the best she really never looked at him that way, but it made for an odd situation when they were acting the part of two of the worlds most famous young lovers.

Paul had joked about closing his eyes and picturing someone else when he kissed her, Johnny Depp was a favourite apparently, but he hadn’t asked her who she would be thinking of because he seemed to already know. She hadn’t planned it, she wondered on the reason, perhaps because Paul put the idea in her head or because he had been her most frequent rehearsal buddy, but when that first kiss came and Paul leaned in to brush his lips against her own, Chloe thought only of Lex Luthor.

Somewhere out there in the audience, he was watching her. She never once considered he might not show, though he was a busy man with more important things to do than attend a high school production of a Shakespeare classic. Still, Chloe was certain of her friend and how much he cared for her. Lex would be out there somewhere, as sure as she was that her father was in the front row. Even the Kents were coming to support her tonight, and Chloe was finding it harder and harder to stay mad at Clark these days as he seemed to be going to great lengths to make things up to her, he and Pete both, truth be told.

Still, right now, as Chloe prepared for the famous balcony scene, she could think only of Lex, specifically the first time she had tried her speech, stood on the library balcony in his office. A moment later he had walked in to answer her with Romeo’s lines and it was all so perfectly romantic, at least until they’d been attacked by an invisible boy.

Shaking her head free of too many muddled thoughts, Chloe took a deep breath and climbed the ladder behind the stage, arriving in the balcony just in time to begin.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” she began, looking out across the audience as Juliet cried out for her lover, Chloe’s eyes falling on Lex two rows from the front and a smile curving her lips. “Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet,” she spoke, loudly and clearly, over the head of Paul who didn’t flinch at all.

He knew very well that Chloe’s performance was all the better for the very genuine love in her heart for one Lex Luthor. The world was less likely to understand that pairing than even Romeo and Juliet’s romance, with her being so young and him having such a reputation. Still, Paul had faith that love would win out at some point, that was the kind of true romantic he really was.

The difference between himself and Lex Luthor was immense. The obvious points aside, whilst the young Mr Danforth viewed this play as a romance, his much richer counterpart saw only the tragedy. Love ended badly, with deception, destruction, and death, that was how Lex saw the world. No woman he had ever cared for loved him even half as much, the mother he adored had been torn away from him so young, and the father he secretly wished would love him could never quite manage to show it.

That left Chloe, who loved Lex as a best friend at the very least. Still as the play went on and he watched her perform the part of Juliet to near-perfection, he got a stark reminder that her feelings for him may indeed run deeper. Every line of love and passion, her eyes did not seem to fix on ‘Romeo’ quite as much as they should. Lex could’ve sworn she was looking his way more than once. Yes, that was fairly conceited and he chided himself for thinking such things, put it down to some screwed up wishful thinking. Unfortunately for Lex, Chloe was not making it easy for him to change his opinion of her behaviour as she seemed to save every intense gaze or smile of love and adoration for him alone. With a little luck he was the only one to notice, or perhaps he really was inventing it in his own mind. That being true, he was probably a sick individual, and about to mess up another perfectly good friendship, causing a media frenzy and a felony charge into the bargain.

Mindful of letting his mind wander too far at such a moment, Lex brought his eyes back into focus on the play before him, as a flamboyant Mercutio tripped over his lines and then thankfully died. There was so very far still to go with this amateur dramatics, and any scene that did not include Chloe was painful, boring Lex to tears. Still, it was worth it to see her perform so well. She had a dream shattered when The Torch was taken from her, but this proved beyond all doubt that Miss Sullivan was far from a one-dimensional person, only capable of one talent, one ability. She was an incredible young woman, the world ought to know that. At least tonight, all the people in this auditorium would be shown.

* * *

The curtain came down on a mediocre performance of Romeo and Juliet, at least that was Lex Luthor’s opinion. Amateur dramatics were really not his style and watching teenagers trip awkwardly over words unfamiliar and props badly made was not his idea of an entertaining evening. Chloe had made up for that, of course, and though he hated to admit it, her leading man had some talent too. As to the rest of the cast, Lex could not imagine more than one or two stood a chance at any kind of acting career, and even then he saw nothing spectacular becoming of such people.

These thoughts filled his head as he and a hundred parents, friends, and family filtered out of the auditorium into the hallways of the school. Now seemed like a good time to make his escape, but before Lex had a chance to track down the nearest exit and bolt, a hand landed on his shoulder and turned him around.

“Mr Luthor... Lex,” Gabe Sullivan corrected himself, told a million times to drop formalities when he saw his boss outside of working hours. “Thank you so much for coming tonight,” he said, smiling warmly. “I know it meant a lot to my Chloe to have you here.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Gabe,” he assured the older man, forcing a smile of his own, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as too many eyes watched them and the reasons for his attending such an event grew into a hundred rumours he would sooner not hear about.

“Chloe has been so invested in this, I’m honestly not sure how she’ll occupy her time now it’s over,” her father went on to say, making Lex suddenly very aware of the lack of purpose he now had in his newest friend’s life.

Chloe had originally come to his home asking for assistance in learning her part for this very play. Now that her performance was done, she would have much less excuse to come knocking on his door. It made Lex feel quite strange, almost pained to think that Chloe might not be such a fixture in his life from this day on. These thoughts were gone in a moment as the girl in question appeared though the doors, rushing into her father’s arms and being hugged tight, not caring if the world was watching apparently.

Gabe spoke words of praise and pride as he held on to his only daughter and she revelled in the joy of not only a job well done tonight, but also the adoration of her one family member that she had left. Paul was right behind her and there to shake hands with Gabe a moment later as he was congratulated on a similarly great performance.

“Chloe, you were amazing,” Lex assured her then, the moment she turned her gaze upon him. “Honestly, I was in awe,” he promised her, pleased as anything to see an even larger smile spread across her face and a pretty pink blush rise in her cheeks.

“Thank you so much, Lex,” she said, reaching out to hug him too. “For everything,” she added, clearly not only grateful and flattered by his comments, but for all the help he had given her these past weeks and months.

It made Lex all the more fearful of losing her from his life now that the event was over. He held on just a little tighter than perhaps he should as they hugged each other, savouring a moment he honestly worried may never be repeated. When they broke apart seconds later, Lex opened his eyes, hardly aware he’d had them closed until then, and found he was being glared at by the man he considered to be his enemy. Paul looked unhappy about the moment that had just passed and Lex couldn’t help but smirk as he spoke to him.

“Something wrong, Paul?” he asked him, as if he didn’t know, but got a surprise when the younger man actually gave his reason for the less than happy expression on his face.

“Is the photographer with you?” he asked curiously, causing Lex to spin around and just catch sight of a shifty looking man with a camera before he disappeared amongst the crowd of people beyond.

“Maybe he’s from The Ledger?” suggested Chloe. “Although, he’s not familiar. I guess he could be new.” She shrugged, dismissing the whole thing in a moment as the Kents came over and congratulated her on a job well done.

“He’s not from Smallville,” said Lex, though no-one but Paul was listening anymore.

“Lex?” he prompted, moving up alongside him and following his eyeline as the pair spotted the photographer practically running from the school building. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” he said, only a half-truth, but it was the best he could do right now as he forced a neutral expression on his face and turned back to look at Paul. “At a guess, I’d say your play is going to get a picture in a Metropolis paper. Perhaps the Daily Planet,” he said smoothly. “That’s quite an honour.”

“Yeah,” agreed Paul, nodding once, though he wasn’t entirely convinced that was all there was to this.

Truth be told, Lex knew damn well he was most likely wrong, but the alternative was too awful to contemplate right now.


	19. Chapter 19

It was only three days since Smallville High put on their great production of Romeo and Juliet. In those three days, Lex had found himself very busy. First off, there was the issue of the photographer at the school production. It had taken several phone calls and his most threatening tone to ensure that no respectable (and several less respectable papers) would be printing any kind of sordid story about Lex himself and/or any of his friends connected to Smallville High.

Beyond that, the billionaire had been caught between work issues from Luthorcorp and back-stabbing manoeuvres from his father. The games Luthors played never did stop, and it was all Lex could do to keep his business life in order right now. In spite of this, he still found himself thinking altogether too much about a certain blonde beauty who should be so far from his mind. Best friends with a fifteen year old got him too much attention already, now best friends with a _female_ fifteen year old, that was only going to make his reputation take a whole other dive, Lex knew. He tried not to let it happen, at least not in public view, but Chloe had come to mean so much to him and so quickly, he hardly knew how it had happened. She didn’t seem much like a kid, all woman when she acted and even when she spoke passionately on a topic that was close to her heart. She was one of the smartest young women he’d ever spent time with, despite the fact she was one of the youngest and least rich. It just proved that age and wealth did not bring intelligence or wit, apparently.

‘Let it go, Lex,’ he told himself as he caught himself thinking too much on the positive points of Chloe Sullivan’s character, and smiling as he did so.

There were much more important things to think about, keeping his business afloat when his father was trying to make things difficult for him came top of that list, at least it should. It seemed that Chloe was proving a definite distraction, and somehow she was more of a problem now than she had been when she was actually in the house.

Lex had grown so used to her almost daily visits. She would come to rehearse, to ask his advice, or just for a friendly chat over a snack or drink. He liked having someone else to talk to, someone who genuinely wanted to listen and be a friend. He had that with Clark for a while, but the Kent boy was usually looking to talk over his own issues and ask for advice, rather than listen to what Lex had to say about his own life. He really was a kid in a lot of ways, blushing at the slightest thing and not keeping up too well with anything that wasn’t spoken in layman’s terms. Conversation with Clark was a far cry from that Lex shared with Chloe, not that he saw much of the farm boy lately. Cutting his friends out of his life to accommodate Miss Lang seemed to come fairly easily to Clark, and that made Lex just a little angry, more on Chloe’s part than his own if he were honest. After all, she had been his supposed best friend for years.

Realising he was achieving nothing by wondering on topics that really shouldn’t matter to him, Lex picked up his fountain pen, finished reading the final paragraph on the document he was supposed to be approving, and signed his name at the bottom. He still had a whole stack of paperwork to go over, but it seemed today was just not destined to be productive. This was further proven by a tap on the door and the appearance of one of his many assistants.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said awkwardly. “There’s a reporter here to see you, he said he’s from The Inquisitor.”

Lex frowned at that, mind working a mile a minute on the subject until he came up with what he was sure would be the man’s business here. He may have called the Editor of every paper he could think of in his search for the mystery men who would spy on himself and Chloe, but there was nothing to say they even knew what all their employees did behind their backs.

“Send him in,” he said with a single nod, getting up from his desk and walking around so as to meet this so-called reporter as soon as he entered the office.

Lex would not cower behind his desk from such scum as this, and that was all this stranger would be. Reporters for papers like The Daily Planet were worth his time, they were about as genuine and decent as journalists got. The Inquisitor was a rag, one of the worst, that had a habit of printing gossip and scandal and very little actual news. No, Lex was in no doubt what this man, if he could be called that, would say to him, what deal he would want to make, and yet he would play dumb in the beginning at least. It didn’t do to show your hand too quickly in these situations.

“Lex Luthor,” said the reporter loudly as he strolled in, as if making an announcement.

“You know my name but I’m afraid I’m in the dark as to yours,” said Lex smoothly, not bothering to take the hand offered to him and shake, instead just staring the man straight in the eye and waiting for a response to his statement.

“Huh.” The reporter responded with some surprise when it came to the lack of hand-shake and awkwardly dropped his arm back to his side, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants a moment later. “Roger Nixon, Metropolis Inquisitor,” he introduced himself, gesturing towards the seat right behind him as if asking to sit down.

Lex gave only a nod to approve the manoeuvre, leaning back and sitting on the front edge of his desk facing the man he already saw as an enemy. Barging into his home with such a grin on his face, the guy had some balls, but he also had to have some dirt on Lex, the billionaire was certain of it, else there would be little to no point him being here in the first place.

“Mr Nixon, as I’m sure you’re aware, I’m a very busy man,” he informed him easily, not a hint of emotion showing on his face as he spoke. “I suggest that if you have something to say to me you do it now and quickly, so we can both move on with our day.”

The reporter looked no less amused than he had a moment ago, no less eager to be sat here, despite Lex’s cutting words and icy tone. He’d dealt with many a rich and powerful man over the years, this one was no more scary to him than the last. Besides, he was pretty sure he had the upper hand. When it came to the Luthors, of course, that was a remarkably stupid assumption to make.

Reaching inside his jacket, Nixon pulled out a large brown envelope, tossing it onto the desk beside where Lex was sat. Without a word the two men shared a look and then Lex picked up the envelope, pulling out the photographs he’d already known would be inside. They were from the night of Chloe’s play, her in the dress she wore to play Juliet, her arms tight around Lex’s body and his around hers as they hugged each other tightly. He knew what that would look like taken out of context, what kind of names he would be called by the public at large if a man like Nixon put his own spin on the situation, still he appeared unmoved as he looked over a few more pictures, nothing more sinister than a hug or something akin to a meaningful look in any of them. It didn’t matter, Lex knew that, even as he turning uncaring eyes to Nixon’s smug grin.

“These are very well done, Nixon,” he complimented the man, confusing him too for a moment at least he was sure. “Did you take these yourself?”

“Don’t be a wise guy, Lex,” he advised, taking the pictures back from the younger man’s hands. “She’s a pretty girl,” he sighed, showing one particularly good shot of Chloe to him. “A little young for you maybe.”

“Chloe is a friend of mine,” said Lex smoothly as he moved around the desk to retake his seat. “I had no idea it was illegal to have friends younger or older than you were. Is this a new law they’re trying to pass, because I think I missed hearing about it?” he joked, without humour in his tone or looks.

“Y’know a story about two friends like you two could make headlines,” said Nixon with a look that made Lex so wish he could get away with hitting him - right now that was not an option. “I mean, I’m not saying one way or the other what the nature of your relationship is with this girl. How would I know, right?” he shrugged as if innocent and unknowing. “But what do you think the public would make of it?”

Lex felt the vein in is temple start pulsing, as he fought to keep his hands from curling into fists. This guy was some piece of work, but then most journalists were snakes in the grass. It was almost worth having Chloe be turned on to acting and away from the reporting field, for fear of her having to work with too many scumbags like Nixon. Of course, Lex didn’t feel he would ever have to be concerned over Chloe turning into this kind of sleazy person. At fifteen, she had more integrity in the nail on her pinky than Nixon had ever had in his whole body in his entire life!

“So,” said Lex, as calmly as he could manage, “exactly what did my father offer you in exchange for my public humiliation and the black mark against my name?” he asked smoothly.

The smirk Nixon got on his face at the very mention of Luthor Senior proved Lex was right, but then he’d known that from the get go. What he couldn’t quite fathom was why the bent journalist would bring him the photos over his father, unless...

“I have no wish to see these pictures go public,” said Nixon with his hand over what might’ve been his heart, if you can believe he had one. “That poor young girl, her reputation ruined, your good name dragged through the mud by all the speculators.” He shook his head, looking as if even talking about the situation pained him.

“Then your reason for coming here is suddenly very clear, Roger,” he said, tossing the envelope of photographs into the centre of the desk and leaning back in is leather chair. “You’re banking on scaring me enough to be a higher bidder than my own father.”

“I knew you were a smart guy, Lex,” said Nixon with a smile that made the billionaire want to punch him out regardless.

“I am,” he agreed with a single nod. “Smart enough to know that going against my father could get you a whole lot more trouble than you’re bargaining for,” he explained as he got up from his seat and watched Nixon do the same. “Smart enough to know that this,” he said, holding up the envelope of pictures and then jabbing the shorter guy in the chest with it, “isn’t worth anything to you or me.” He shook his head. “So, how about you take your so-called incriminating pictures, and get out of my house, before I have you thrown out?” he said, waiting for the scumbag to do just that - Nixon didn’t flinch.

“Keep the envelope,” he told him. “I have plenty of copies, and I will use them, Lex,” he promised. “Twenty four hours,” he said as he stepped backwards towards the door. “That’s how long I’ll give you to change your mind, and if you don’t?” he said, as he turned back at the door and shook his head sadly, leaving the answer to his own question hanging there as he finally left.

Slamming his had down on the desk hard enough to make the whole room feel as if it were shaking, Lex tried his very best to keep his temper in check and not wreck the entire office. He ought to be used to people trying to double-cross him, making attempts on his fortune and his reputation. Unfortunately, he was not quite so used to having to consider the feelings of others as he was now. Not letting people get too close worked out well for Lex - it meant he never got hurt if they double-crossed him, cheated on him, screwed him over, plus he never had to worry about too many consequences himself. Now there was Chloe, a young woman who meant more to him than she ever ought to, and between his father and some scummy journalist she was almost guaranteed to wind up hurt.

Timed almost to perfection, the office door suddenly swung open and Lex glanced up as the young blonde in question came storming into his office.

“Chloe,” he sighed. “Now really isn’t the best ti...” he stopped short of what he was going to say as she bolted straight at him, throwing herself into his embrace a moment after he spotted the tears streaming down her face. “What’s going on?” he asked, panicking a little that she had heard the rumours that might be circulating given what Nixon had said.

Knowing Chloe as he did, this reaction didn’t really seem fitting if that were the case. She was much more likely to be angry and scornful than upset about such a thing, which meant something else had happened, and it was bad. If Lex was to help her, he had to know what had happened.

“Chloe, come on,” he urged her, putting his hands to her arms and pulling her away from his body just enough to see her tear-stained face. “Please, talk to me. What happened?” he tried again.

“Principal Kwan was in an accident,” she admitted, still sniffling as she wiped away tears from her cheek with the back of her hand. “He’s lucky to be alive, and then... Whitney’s father,” she cried. “He’s dead, Lex,” she told him, apparently far more overcome by this than her friend ever could have expected.

Lex shook his head as he tried to take in what he was being told, and trying to make sense of why these events had shaken Chloe up quite so much. She wasn’t exactly a fan of Kwan after the way he took The Torch away from her, and Lana’s boyfriend was quite a distance removed from her circle of friends too. All Lex could do was wait for her to explain further, which thankfully she did eventually.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling so stupid now as she realised that not only could he not make sense of her tears but that explaining it was not going to prove simple either. “I just... Life is so short and fragile. Sometimes you forget.” She shook her head, feeling ridiculous.

Lex’s heart broke for her as she stood before him, all tear-stained and embarrassed now. Clearly hearing of anyone she knew getting badly hurt or worse dying was a lot for her to take. It reminded Lex how young she really was, how little she’d seen and experienced in the world as he pulled her back into his arms and tried to bring comfort to the tearful girl. No doubt her over-active imagination had got the better of her as she thought about how she could not bear to cope with the demise of her own father, or even one of her friends.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he told her, rubbing her back and hoping to soothe her.

He was surprisingly good at being comforting, they both realised with some surprise, but then Lex still recalled his mother's efforts to calm him in times of distress when he was young. The concept of a hug and a soft tone as being entirely welcome in such moments was not completely foreign to him, and it did seem to help Chloe.

“I’m sorry, Lex,” she said, her cheek leant against his chest as he held onto her. “I just... When I heard, I just had to see you and tell you...” she said, moving to look up at him with wide watery eyes. “You mean so much to me, and I need you to know that,” she told him, swallowing hard a moment later as she waited for some kind of response from him.

For a long moment, Lex said nothing at all, though a hundred different sets of words ran circles through his head. Each and every one seemed wrong for any number of reasons, until finally he realised he must say something.

“I know,” he told her, forcing a smile, as he brushed her hair off her face. “You know you mean a lot to me too, Chloe,” he said, mindful of the way she might take such words and quickly adding. “I would like to think we will always be very good friends.”

Chloe didn’t say anything back, just allowed herself to be pulled into another hug, burying her face from view to hide her disappointment.

Meanwhile, the make-believe angel on Lex’s shoulder beamed with pride whilst the devil on the opposite side sneered;

“Liar.”


	20. Chapter 20

“Thank you so much for doing this for me, Mrs Kent,” said Chloe with a warm smile that Martha saw in the full-length mirror before her. “I wouldn’t have asked but Clark insisted you wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh, Chloe, sweetheart, you know I don’t mind at all.” The older woman smiled just as kindly as she popped another pin into the back of the Prom dress that the blonde wore. “I love Clark so much, but I have to admit, I’d have loved a daughter just as much as a son.” She sighed as she finished her work and stood straight next to Chloe.

“It’s perfect,” she said proudly, running her hands down her stylish pink dress, “I honestly didn’t intend to get something in such a girly colour but I saw it and I just fell in love.” She smiled. “Of course, that would’ve been more practical if it fit right.”

“Before the week is out, it will,” Martha assured her, her hands at the girls shoulders as she gave her a motherly squeeze, “and you’ll be quite the belle of the ball” she assured her.

“Don’t let Clark hear you say that.” Chloe rolled her eyes, as Martha helped her carefully slide out of her pinned dress and the blonde reached for her regular clothes to redress. “I’m sure he’d be mortified to think of anyone comparing to his precious Lana,” she practically spat those words like venom and immediately felt bad as she looked Martha’s way, “I’m sorry, Mrs Kent, I didn’t mean-”

“It’s okay, Chloe,” the older woman interrupted, putting a hand to the girl's shoulder just a soon as she righted herself, now dressed. “I love Clark more than anything, but I’m not blind to his faults,” she assured her. “The way he treated you wasn’t altogether right, and he does have a tendency to put Lana Lang on a pedestal rather more than she sometimes deserves,” she admitted.

Chloe looked appropriately stunned to hear those words, from Mrs Kent of all people. Everyone was always on Clark’s side, even more so on Lana’s side. To have someone actually agree with her on their wrong behaviour towards her and others had Chloe feeling oddly grateful to the woman who had adopted the young man in question.

“Wow, I thought I was the only one who noticed,” she said to herself as Martha moved past her to the bedroom door and opened it with a smile.

She wasn’t blind or stupid, she knew her son had faults enough, and though some could be brushed under the carpet, blamed entirely on his circumstances and never Clark himself, there were plenty that were borne out of him being nothing more than a thoughtless teenage boy. Martha liked Lana well enough, but Chloe was more her kind of person. She was a go-getter, she had spunk and intelligence that Martha herself had been proud to say she had as a teen too.

“So, how about you, Chloe?” she asked her, as they walked arm in arm down the stairs to the kitchen. “I suppose Paul Danforth will be your date to the big dance.” She smiled.

Chloe’s newest friend certainly seemed like a nice boy, from what Mrs Kent had seen of him both at the school play and several other times in town, and even at the farm once now Clark and Chloe had made their peace, more or less anyway. What she didn’t know was that the friendship the blonde had found with Lex Luthor was far stronger than any other. Knowing she would most likely not approve, Chloe kept her mouth shut when it came to spilling his name.

“I’m not so sure things would work out between me and Paul,” she said cryptically, also aware it was not her place to tell his secrets either. “Besides, I kind of have another guy in mind... but don’t worry, it’s not Clark,” she added quickly as Martha’s eyes shot up from the coffee she was now making.

“I wasn’t worried,” she assured her, and that was at least true. “In fact I was more worried about him destroying his friendship with you by favouring Lana,” she admitted honestly, almost making Chloe feel guilty.

She had always liked the Kents, Martha in particular who so easily filled much of the void left by her own mother. She hadn’t thought about how her not being around Clark might hurt these people who probably saw her as much as family as she saw them. Still, it wasn’t her fault that Clark had hurt her and made her want to stay away from him for a while.

“I could never hate Clark,” she told his mother as she hopped up onto a seat by the kitchen counter. “I’ll admit, I didn’t like him too much for a while, but we’ll always be friends somehow.”

“Well, he could certainly use a friend right now,” she admitted as she poured out two mugs of coffee and handed one over to Chloe, pulling herself up to hit beside her. “You know, I probably shouldn’t say this, but he and Lana are struggling with The Torch,” she told the girl she saw as part-daughter, part-friend. “I’m sure they’d both appreciate any help you could give.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head definitely as she picked up her coffee with both hands and stared down into it. “Not yet anyway. I’m not sure I can ever go back, but definitely not now.”

“Well, your new interest certainly suits you,” said Martha kindly but nonetheless truthfully as she put a hand to Chloe’s arm. “I could hardly believe it was little Chloe Sullivan up there playing Juliet in the school play.” She shook her head, smiling widely. “You were just wonderful, sweetheart,” she assured her, making a rarely seen blush rise in the girls’ cheeks.

“Thank you, Mrs Kent.” She smiled right back at the mother figure in her life. “Y’know, that means a lot to me.”

The two women sipped their coffee and each took a home-made cookie from the plate between them, Chloe assuring Martha they were as delicious as ever and one thing she had missed by not coming around the farm so much lately. They didn’t discuss where she had been spending her time instead. Clark must have mentioned that she and Lex were friends now, but knowing as she did the awkwardness that existed between the Kents and the Luthors as a general rule, it seemed more sensible to not talk about her friend here and now. It seemed Martha felt the same since she never brought up Lex either.

“So,” she said after a comfortable pause, “now I’ve plied you with coffee, cookies, and compliments, are you going to tell me about this special boy that might be taking you to the dance?” she asked with apparent interest.

Chloe opened her mouth to answer and quickly closed it again. She had very deliberately not told anyone else about this yet, and making Martha the first to hear seemed like a bad plan. She would be full of great motherly advice, of course, but quite likely not any that Chloe would care to hear right now.

“Maybe another time,” she said, placing her half-empty mug down on the counter top. “I want to make sure he’s going to say yes when I ask him first,” she added as she considered another cookie for all of five seconds before helping herself.

“I’m sure he will, sweetheart,” said Mrs Kent, apparently genuinely. “He’d be a fool to turn you down,” she told Chloe, who would very much like to believe that was true.

Of course, Martha might not have said such a thing had she known who Chloe had in mind to ask, but therein lie the very reason why she hadn’t told her.

* * *

Lex took one last look at the photographs in his hand before he began feeding them through his personal cross-cut shredder. It was an almost pointless exercise since he was sure the photographer, Nixon, and even his own father would probably have another half dozen copies each, but with a little luck they would never be seen in the public domain. He had certainly paid enough for them to remain hidden, and for that he hated himself.

The fight that had followed with Lionel was epic. Lex couldn’t remember ever being quite so mad at the man who would ruin not only his reputation but Chloe’s too without a thought in his head but being in control of just about everything around him. Lionel Luthor was not a man to be messed with, his son knew that better than anyone, but Lex was also determined not be a puppet dancing to Daddy Dearest's tune. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy to get out of his shadow as he would’ve liked. 

The worst of it was that Lionel seemed to believe he was doing his son a favour, looking out for his best interests. Lex had laughed at that and chuckled again now without any humour present in his tone as he recalled the scene, the two of them stood either side of this very desk in this very office, yelling and arguing over his apparent inappropriate relationship with the Plant Manager’s daughter.

Chloe Sullivan, she was a hell a woman, though at fifteen she barely earnt the title. Lex had insisted to Lionel they were merely friends, and yet his father insisted he knew his son better than that. He reiterated that he had no problem with Lex indulging himself where woman were concerned just so long as he was careful, but that Chloe was just a child. It only made Lex so angry because he knew it was true. In legal terms, Chloe was a minor until her next birthday which wasn’t until November. To want her in any way at all had to make him sick and twisted, and yet when he was with her, age was forgotten and all that mattered was taking care of her, being close to her. Lex almost let himself add ‘loving her’ to that list, which shocked him more than anything else as he realised it could so easily be true.

Lex’s mind was still humming with possibilities when the door to his office swung open and his security guard let Chloe in to see him. She was the last person he could use seeing right now, but at least the final photograph had made it into the shredder before she came in. Lex forced a smile as he got up from his seat to greet her then offered her to sit down across from him.

“I wasn’t expecting you today,” he said with a shake of his head, hoping he didn’t seem too underwhelmed by the sight of her - it was certainly not his intention.

“I wasn’t expecting to find you working on a Saturday,” she sighed. “Lex, do you ever stop?”

She was almost admonishing him and in his present state of mind he bristled at her tone.

“I’m a grown man, Chloe. I think I can make my own decisions about how much or how little I work,” he said, perhaps a little too snippily.

The poor girl looked appropriately affronted.

“Okay,” she said with a single nod, wondering where that little outburst had come from, and then why Lex was pouring himself a drink at this time in the afternoon as he crossed to the bar and did just that. “Something is not right here,” she thought aloud as she got up and walked over, placing a hand on his arm.

He spun round so fast at the contact, the glass dropped from his hand and smashed against the hard floor into a million tiny shards. Thankfully they both jumped back in time not to be hit by any sharp pieces, but Lex still swore colourfully as he bent to clean up the mess.

“Lex, don’t,” Chloe urged him. “You’ll hurt yourself,” she told him as he reached for the larger pieces of broken glass.

He continued anyway, cutting the edge of his finger and immediately shoving the bleeding digit into his mouth. Within seconds, Chloe had rifled through her purse and found a band-aid which she quickly applied for him, standing so close that Lex could smell her fruity shampoo and feel the warmth of her body beside his.

This was like some kind of torture after all he’d been thinking on prior to her arrival and immediately he turned away, moving around the desk in an attempt to put some kind of barrier between them as he called through to a member of staff to come clean up the mess he’d made.

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” he sighed as he looked over at her then. “I’m not having the best day,” he told her, genuine in his apology for what he knew to be odd behaviour, but also wishing she would just leave him alone for now until he could get his head straight.

Unfortunately, his friend seemed in no hurry to depart and was only about to make the situation between them worse.

“Well, hopefully I can improve it for you.” She smiled, leaning on the desk and encouraging him to meet her eyes. “Lex, I was wondering, it’s the Spring Dance at school in just a couple of weeks, kind of a Prom thing.”

“I know.” He nodded. “I helped organise the band that will be playing there,” he told her, as he looked away, his hand going to his head which was beginning to pound with the worst stress-headache he’d had in a while.

“Well, I was wondering, if you’re not busy, if maybe you’d want to be my date.” Chloe smiled brightly, a slight nervous edge to her voice that she really wished wasn’t there but she just couldn’t help it.

Lex didn’t frighten her like he did so many others, but her feelings for him were just a little scary. Plus she wasn’t entirely sure how he would react, given that so far theirs had been a purely platonic relationship, one ancient-flower-induced kiss not withstanding. Still, the reaction she got from him was perhaps the last she had expected and the worst possible outcome to her situation - he laughed.

Lex felt positively awful when he couldn’t hold in the chuckle that rose in his throat. He had to turn his back to Chloe as he fought the ridiculous burst of laughter as it left his mouth, knowing she would doubtless be hurt by his reaction. He just couldn’t help it, this whole situation was absurd. He was twenty two years old and yet here he was falling in love with a high school girl who clearly loved him back in some ridiculous puppy love kind of way. He was trying to box up his so-called feelings, hide them away and forget about them as best he could, and here she was all but declaring hers, asking him to attend what passed for a Prom with her. The whole thing was beyond ludicrous and he just couldn’t handle it anymore.

“Chloe,” he said at last, turning to face her, the evident pain in her eyes sobering him up in a second. “I’m sorry, but you’re smarter than this. You have to see how inappropriate it would be for me to escort you to a school dance of all places,” he declared, sure she ought to understand, after all she was without question one of the most intelligent women he’d ever met, despite her lack of age.

“No, I don’t see it.” She shook her head, her tone shifting from excited and a little nervous, to something edged with anger and steel. “I thought we were friends, Lex. Actually, I thought we might be more than that. I stupidly thought you liked me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Chloe, you’re just a child!” he told her, too loud and harsh and he knew it but letting her believe he was a monster might actually be easier than having her care about him right now. “We may be friends, perhaps, in some strange way, and you may have a mind as sharp as any adult, but in reality you are fifteen years old,” he told her firmly. “What kind of man would I be if I wanted anything but fleeting friendship from you?” he asked her, eyes cold and dark to Chloe as she met them with her own.

Tears were coming, she felt it, but she would not give in to such emotions, at least not whilst he could see her face. She had honestly believed that Lex had started to like her, not just as a friend but as a woman. If that were true, he could never speak to her this way. Chloe had been such a fool and she knew it now more than ever.

“You really are the bastard everybody says, aren’t you?” she said in a burst of humourless laughter, before turning and bolting from the room.

Lex had to bite his tongue so as not to call after her, had to force his feet to stay still even though inside he wanted to run to catch her, immediately apologise and put this right. His hands balled into fists as frustration and anger filled him, exploding in a moment of madness that sent every item from his desk cascading to the floor with a crash and a bang.

Stood there then, braced against the edge of the desk, still seething, Lex hated himself for what he’d just done, for the pain he had caused poor Chloe, for the tears in her eyes that were entirely his own doing. He was trying to be sensible, trying to protect her, trying but not succeeding to keep her at arms length and yet still within reach somehow. He had royally screwed this up, and chances were good that he had lost a very good friend today. That was something a Luthor really could not afford, and something Lex knew he would always regret.


	21. Chapter 21

Pouring her efforts into something different, something much more important than her own feelings, it ought to be helping Chloe to heal. She needed to have her mind taken off Lex and what happened less than one week ago at the mansion. Of course, this whole situation was a little more severe than she had hoped for when she wandered into The Torch office looking for a project.

Clark had been kind of a mess as he explained that Lana had apparently been kidnapped. If anyone could help solve the case, Chloe knew it would be her, and now was not the time for petty jealousies and nasty childish comments. She refused to be a kid about this, after all, it was being so young that was destroying what she had with Lex.

The bald billionaire that looked out over their leafy little hamlet from his several-storey castle on the hill was all Chloe could think about most of the time and it was slowly driving her crazy. He was one of the best friends she had ever had and she alternated between blaming him and blaming herself for that relationship falling apart. She would start out being mad at him for the things he said to her, before realising there was a truth in his harsh words that she ought to have seen long before they were spoken. Then she’d go right on to blaming herself for not being satisfied with just a friendship existing between the two of them. She had to have more, had to make things more complicated, and in doing so had destroyed everything, or so it seemed.

Paul had tried to be sympathetic and helpful, he did a good job of it, and Chloe was grateful for the effort, but hanging out with her new friend meant thinking about Drama Club and the play and all, and that led her right back to far too many Lex-related thoughts and memories. It wasn’t fair to push him aside and she didn’t plan to do so really, but she had a lot to occupy her mind here right now.

“What has happened to this place since I was away?” Chloe muttered to herself, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand as she flipped through folders in the filing cabinet but failed to find what she was looking for.

Slamming the drawer shut too hard, she made the whole unit shudder and almost made Clark jump out of skin into the bargain. The look she shot him was apologetic, just a stone's throw from the looks of sympathy she’d been tossing his way all day so far. She wasn’t sure what to say for the best. For so long, she had been mad at him, sustained a seething bubbling mass of anger and resentment towards the boy she saw as a betrayer and a bad friend. It was easy to pretend to hate him and Lana both for so long, but as time went on, all the fight went out of her. She forgot to care about the rift between them, and today had proven once and for all just how dumb their whole broken friendship thing had been.

Lana may have taken The Torch, her own personal project, and let Clark spend his time on her without a thought for his other friends, but she wasn’t quite the evil incarnate Chloe would like to have cast her as in her head. She was a teenage girl just the same as her in a lot of ways, and would be just as scared and in just as much danger from whomever had kidnapped her as Chloe would be in the same position. There was no way she would’ve wished this on her, on anybody for that matter, and her only mission now was doing what she and Clark did best - solving the mystery and saving the day, no matter what.

“Knock, knock!”

A voice from the door made her turn sharply and she forced a smile as she saw Paul coming into the office.

“So, I’m not great at the Nancy Drew stuff” he admitted, “but if you need another pair of hands or eyes or whatever?” he offered.

“Thanks, Paul,” Clark accepted before Chloe got a chance too. “Any help we can get is appreciated.”

She just found a smile for her friend as she hunted around for old records about past kidnappings in Smallville and such. Paul dropped his bag down by the desk and came over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“How you doing, sweetheart?” he asked, clearly not meaning with the case at hand and instead referring to her argument with Lex.

Paul was the only person Chloe had told all the facts too. Clark was aware she and Lex had fought over something and there was no hiding the fact from her dad. Still, Chloe had felt it best to keep her humiliation to a minimum and so only the young Mr Danforth knew the whole truth.

“I’m okay.” She nodded vaguely, barely glancing at him. “Nothing like a genuine crisis to put your pathetic school-girl problems in perspective.” She forced another awkward smile as she continued in her work.

Paul decided now was not a good time to talk anymore on the subject, not least because Clark seemed to be listening rather too intently to what was being said.

* * *

Lex Luthor had quite decided he was a fool.

It was not a conclusion he much liked coming to, but it was the only one he could find after looking at his situation from every conceivable angle. He had achieved very little in his work the past few days and once again a certain young blonde was to blame. Obsession was a weakness perhaps, and one of the few Lex possessed. When his mind became fixed on something it was not easy for him to shake off, and right now the only thing he could think of was his broken relationship with Chloe.

Hurting her was the very last thing he had ever wanted to do, but his need to keep her at arms length was greater than his need to keep her close right now. Her friendship was one of the best he had ever know. He knew little of honest relationships, most boys and girls when he was young, to men and women now he was older, only wanted to know him for his money or status. For these same reasons, along with his family’s reputation, other people hated him without ever giving him a chance to be a good person. Chloe didn’t judge and she didn’t spend time with him in the hopes of getting anything more than time back.

Losing her friendship hurt like hell, much more than Lex would be willing to admit to anyone but himself. Still, he knew the pain Chloe was suffering was equally as bad, and of his infliction. He was right to tell her no when she asked him for more than friendship, it had to be that way, for now at least. The way he handled it was the real problem. The words he’d used, the way he laughed at her. Lex physically winced at the memory of her face, the pain in Chloe’s eyes and the tears waiting to rush down her cheeks. He almost could not bear to even think of it.

At the very least, he owed her an apology, if he was gong to prove himself as any kind of decent friend. Lex would at least like Chloe to still see him in that role, if nothing else. The past few days he had been telling himself to stay away from her and let their relationship in any form die, in order to protect his heart as well as hers. It could not work. All he was doing by leaving her alone was showing that he cared as little or even less than he implied last time she was here.

“Mr Luthor,” the voice of a female assistant at the office door startled him. He honestly hadn’t even heard her knock, though he was certain she would have done so. “You’re due at a meeting in Metropolis in an hour,” she reminded him. “The helicopter will be here shortly.”

“Thank you, Deborah.” He nodded forcing a smile at the nervous woman before him and dismissing her a moment later.

This was one meeting he couldn’t avoid. Letting Luthorcorp’s Smallville plant go under was something his father would like a little too much, and Lex would not allow Lionel to win any battle he could be the victor in. Chloe would have to wait perhaps, but not for long, Lex was quite decided on that now.

* * *

“Clark, you have no idea how grateful I am that you found me,” said Lana from her hospital bed.

It had taken less than twenty-four hours for The Torch staff to crack the case and track down Lana. Chloe had done most of the work, but would freely admit that with her mind so much otherwhere as it had been thanks to Lex, she was entirely grateful for the help she received from Clark, Pete, and Paul. Now they were all here at the hospital where Lana was to stay for the night. She had taken a knock to the head during her ordeal and the doctors needed to check there would be no complications before releasing her.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Lana’s saviour told her with his trademark toothpaste ad smile that made Chloe’s stomach turn over in a completely different way to how it used to.

To think she used to have a crush on him and believed she was in love. Now she could just about stand to be Clark’s friend, but that was all. Her head had been turned, and by a man that apparently believed himself to be a highly inappropriate choice. Even more so than Clark who had always and would always be infatuated with Lana Lang, as far as Chloe could tell.

“So, I should go,” she said awkwardly backing up to the door. “It’s only two visitors at a time and with Whitney and your Aunt both on their way...” she said, with a pointed look, though apparently Clark was too dense or possibly just too infatuated to notice.

“Thank you so much for your help, Chloe,” said Lana, looking genuinely grateful.

“I just wish the Sheriff had got there sooner and caught the guy that was holding you,” the blonde sympathised, before turning to go at last.

It ought to have occurred to her that heading out into a dark parking lot alone was not the best idea when a kidnapper with a penchant for teenage girls was on the loose. It was especially stupid when one considered the criminal probably knew by now that Chloe and Clark were the reason his plan had gone awry. Still, out of the main doors with her cell in her hand, Chloe was much more intent on calling Paul than she ever was of the danger that might befall her. She had just put the phone to her ear, only a few steps from her car, when a hand landed on her shoulder and she was pulled into the grasp of a dark figure.

“No!” she struggled with all her strength, flailing her arms and legs at her attacker until he let go of her.

She wondered at how easily she got away, for all of two seconds until she turned and found she had not quite saved herself. The clicking of a taser was audible, the electricity bright and blue as it flashed before her eyes. The black-clad figure who would harm her dropped to the ground between her and her apparent saviour.

“Lex!” Chloe gasped at the sight of him stood there, the last person she’d expected, truth be told.

It was Clark that had the saviour complex and he was within yelling distance at least. She had no idea that Lex was even here and couldn’t figure out for the life of her why he was. Of course, it didn’t help that her heart was hammering at a mile a minute after her mini-ordeal that might’ve been so much worse.

“Are you okay?” asked Lex as he reached for her, but Chloe very deliberately flinched away from his touch.

“I’m fine,” she said definitely. “Thanks,” she added, so unsure how to behave around him now, a million miles from just a few days before when they were so comfortable in each others company. “I, er… I need to call the Sheriff,” she realised suddenly, crouching to pic up her phone that had gone flying when she was grabbed.

Lex watched her hurry a few steps away, towards the hospital. No doubt she planned to get a couple of security men to come keep watch over her attacker until the law arrived. Looking down, it seemed to him the wannabe-kidnapper wasn’t getting up any time soon. The electric shock he’d given him wasn’t enough but Lex was pretty sure the creep had hit his head when he fell. It suited him find if the bastard never came around at all after what he’d tried to do. Not that he had any rights over Chloe. The way he’d spoken to her was unforgivable, even if every word had been the truth. He had wounded her heart and that he never meant to let happen.

It seemed his opportunity to talk to her tonight as he had hoped was not going to materialise. By the time this whole mess was figured out, she would doubtless want to go home, as it would be very late. After her ordeal, Lex really didn’t want to cause her any more upset than he already had anyway, and dragging up topics from days ago, even to apologise for them, was definitely going to do that.

A few moments later, two guards from the hospital came over with handcuffs at the ready to keep the criminal that Lex had brought down from doing more harm until the Sheriff arrived. Lex moved away towards the hospital, finding Chloe sat on the bench outside the main doors.

“Chloe...” he approached her cautiously, mindful of making her more distressed than she clearly already was, tears obviously streaming down her cheeks though she did her best to wipe them away before he saw.

“Leave me alone, Lex, please,” she urged him. “I stayed out here to be alone and calm down before I have to go face Clark and Lana, I can’t deal with you right now.”

“Chloe, I don’t want to make matters worse between us,” he told her, hovering beside her, trying to figure out if sitting down or standing up would be preferable.

She made the decision for him when she got up herself and moved towards the doors, turning back to throw her parting shot.

“I meant it when I thanked you for what you did,” she said sincerely, though there was an angry under-current to her tone, “but it doesn’t change the fact that you hurt me, and I’m not over that yet.” She shook her head sadly, rushing inside before he could say anything else.

Lex could’ve called after her or followed her, made her listen to his apologies and explanations, but it wasn’t worth it. She had been through enough trauma this evening and he’d hurt her enough already. If she wanted time to heal he would give her that. After all, she had said she wasn’t over it yet. That at least suggested that their friendship might be saved somewhere down the line. It still felt strange to Lex to realise just how much that mattered to him, but it really did.


	22. Chapter 22

Chloe heard her cell phone buzz from its place on her nightstand and turned to pick it up. In a moment she had thrown it onto the bed with some force, a scowl on her face ill-befitting the rest of her look right now. She was a vision in pink, and yet not at all how Chloe always imagined she’d look in the colour. Her dress, bought especially for Smallville High’s Spring Dance and altered especially for her by Mrs Kent, was a beautifully striking shade of fuschia. Her hair was pinned up with flowers to match her elegant outfit, her first pair of real stiletto heels were on her feet and a sequinned purse waited to be hung on her arm. She ought to feel like a princess, and as much as Chloe would fight against such stereotypes, she did kind of like the idea of it.

Unfortunately, her fairytale hadn’t quite come true. The text message she had just received only made matters worse. Chloe’s own Prince Charming had turned down her invitation to this dance, for reasons she almost understood when she was being grown up about it, thought about it sensibly. Still, Chloe couldn’t be so reasonable and adult right now, not when her dream for the perfect night had been shattered.

Perhaps shattered was the wrong word. She was still attending the dance at least, in a limousine shared with her friends, looking as stunning as she ever had, even if she did say so herself. She had even got herself a handsome date to accompany her, but he was no more the man of her dreams than she was the girl of his, mostly because if he had his way he’d be going to this dance on the arm of another man!

“Sweetheart!” Gabe Sullivan called from the bottom of the stairs. “Paul and your friends are here!”

“Coming!” she called back, forcing a smile in the mirror as she gave herself one last check over and grabbed up her purse from the desk chair.

She stopped and turned back at the door, remembering that she had left her cell on the bed. She had to take it with her, her father would insist. She was supposed to have it with her always, in case of emergency. He had been even more strict on it this past week or so, since the almost-kidnapping of Chloe herself and the actual crime against Lana Lang.

Taking a breath, she walked back across the room and picked up her phone which still displayed the text she had received a moment before.

‘Have a wonderful time at the dance, Chloe. I’m so sorry I let you down. I’ll be thinking of you tonight. Lex.’

Hitting the cancel button, Chloe shoved her cell into her purse and hurried for the stairs. She would have that wonderful time her so-called friend had wished for her, but not because he said so. Lex Luthor had hurt her far more than he ever needed to, and it seemed he had realised it if his constant apologies were anything to go by. It didn’t change the fact that he seemed fine with sacrificing their friendship just to ensure he wasn’t tempted to fall for her. Chloe couldn’t just forgive him for being so harsh with her, she just couldn’t, not yet.

“Hey, Paul.” She smiled at her friend, who looked particularly sharp in his tux. “You look great.”

“And you look amazing,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek as she reached the bottom step. “I’m almost tempted to switch sides,” he whispered near her ear, mindful of her father over-hearing.

Fortunately, Gabe was too busy grabbing his camera and making a fuss about getting a picture of his baby girl’s special night. Chloe honestly didn’t know what to be more embarrassed about; Paul’s comments on her beauty or her father’s over-excitement!

Pictures finally taken, the young couple were allowed to leave and headed outside towards the waiting limo that already contained Clark, Lana and Whitney, Pete and Erica. Chloe didn’t even want to think how awkward things were going to be with both of Lana’s men in the car, but she tried to push it out of her head, something that was a little easier than keeping thoughts of a certain bald billionaire at bay.

“Y’know, I never really imagined I’d be attending this dance at all,” said Paul thoughtfully, raising his voice a little over the wind that was starting to howl some. “Not least with the most beautiful girl in school.” He grinned.

“I really appreciate you doing this for me, Paul,” his friend told him gratefully, stilling his hand as it reached for the car door handle. “Seriously, I know this must feel weird for you.”

“What’s weird about going to a dance?” he shrugged. “You’re like my best friend, Chloe,” he promised her, “You needed someone to go with, who else would you want?” He winked, knowing full well what the real answer to that was.

“I can’t imagine,” she lied, pushing loose hair out of her face that refused to stay back in the increasing wind that blew by them.

She forced herself to keep on smiling, for everyone else’s sake as well as her own, something Chloe hoped wouldn’t be so hard to do as the evening progressed.

* * *

Lex contemplated the empty scotch glass in one hand and the full bottle in the other. It took just a few moments before he was placing them both back onto the bar and walking away. Drinking himself into a stupor would not help him in any way at all, except perhaps to encourage him to behave even more irrationally than he already had. He moved over to the window and looked out across the town of Smallville. This past year it had come to feel so much like home, a strange feeling for a young man who had felt so very much an outsider everywhere he went, not least since his mother died.

Here he had a job he was proving himself good at and friends that seemed to genuinely care about him. It was all a little bizarre for Lex and yet he loved it and he didn’t ever want to leave, not even now when he was going through such a rough time with the young woman he might call his best friend here.

Chloe hadn’t really stunned him by declaring she had some romantic feelings for him. Lex was no fool and he had seen the signs in her as well as in himself. Unfortunately, he had not expected her to be so forward as to act on her feelings so soon, and at such an inopportune moment. Lex had handled the whole situation horribly and almost lost his friend in the process of keeping her at arms length.

Tonight being her big night, he had considered sending her a present, a corsage perhaps or even a piece of jewellery to mark the occasion of her first formal. In the end, he had realised that kind of behaviour would only make her think he did have romantic feelings for her, something that he couldn’t help but admit was true, at least to himself, but she couldn’t know it, not now, not ever really.

With a sigh, Lex watched the trees bend in the wind, the strength of the weather seeming to increase ten-fold in a matter of moments. There had been talk of storm warnings, even tornadoes coming across Kansas, but none were supposed to hit in the area of Smallville, thankfully. Lex couldn’t help but think this weather was ideal for his mood, somewhat dark and constantly changing direction and strength. In one moment, he felt happy to know Chloe had at least accepted the text message he sent her without telling him to get lost again. The next minute he recalled her face when he laughed at her request for him to take her to tonight’s dance and he felt disgusted with himself.

‘She’s a teenage girl, Lex,’ Gabe had said when he asked Chloe’s father how she was. ‘She has her temper tantrums and sulks just like all the rest, but she’ll get over it.’ He had smiled, patting his boss on the shoulder.

This had brought little or no comfort to the young Luthor, knowing as he did that Gabe could not possibly know what had actually happened between Lex and his daughter. He knew they were friends and that was all. Poor Gabe had no clue of the feelings his baby girl harboured for his boss and vice versa. If he did, the friendship would be over and the Sullivans would probably move out of the state, with Chloe checking into a nunnery before the week was out, just to keep her safe.

Lex almost laughed at the odd image of Chloe in nun’s attire, but the chuckle got stuck in his throat. She would look so grown up tonight, in some beautiful dress, on the arm of a well-dressed Paul Danforth. The sneer was back on Lex’s face in an instant as he realise how easy it must’ve been for Chloe’s other male friend to step into the gap he himself had left at her side. Tonight was probably the night Paul made his move and by tomorrow they would be Smallville High’s newest couple.

Lex decided he needed that drink after all, storming back over to the bar, pouring himself a healthy measure of scotch and downing it fast. He had to get over this, he knew he did. Whether Chloe liked him as a friend or more, whatever his feelings were for her, it didn’t matter. It could never happen, he wouldn’t allow it too. The frustration of it all led to the glass being flung from his hand at a rate of knots, hitting the opposite wall with a crash and shattering into a thousand tiny shards.

“My, my, Lex.”

The voice of his father did nothing to ease his temper as Lionel strolled in, pushing his terribly windswept mane back off his face.

“You really must learn to be a little more careful with the expensive crystal.”

“What do you want, Dad?” Lex snapped back at him, knowing he shouldn’t for so many reasons but finding it difficult to control his temper right now, especially after all Lionel had done these past few weeks.

They were barely on speaking terms as it was, and when a conversation occurred there had been only one real topic of late.

“I am here, once again, to remind you who runs this company, Lex,” he said definitely. “It seems you fancy yourself master of all you survey, and are still refusing to answer any of my messages regarding your moving back to Metropolis with me.”

“How many times do I need to explain to you, Dad?” asked Lex desperately, moving to stand opposite his father. “This is where I belong now,” he said, pointing a finger too hard into the surface of his desk between them. “Smallville is my home, I want it to stay that way. Why is that so hard for you to understand?”

“I understand that you’ve formed an attachment to certain things and people in this little town, son,” said Lionel, though he seemed not at all sympathetic or accepting in his tone, “but you are both my employee and my son and you will do as I tell you,” he said definitely, the gaze from his dark eyes so intense, it reminded Lex far too much of times when he was a small boy in trouble for some minor crime and about to get the whipping of his life.

“I’m not a child anymore, Dad,” he said firmly, determined not to be put down by this man anymore, father or not, he had no right.

“No, but as I said, you work for me,” Lionel repeated. “There is no point you being here if there is no work for you to do.” He smiled, watching the confused expression pass over his son’s face before continuing. “I’m shutting down the Smallville fertiliser plant, Lex.”

Lex couldn’t quite take in what he was being told, though honestly he ought to have seen it coming. When a Luthor got an idea in their head it pretty much stayed there until the job was one. Backing down, giving in, these were not phrases that such a man understood or took notice of. Lionel was as determined as Lex and more so; if he said they were done with Smallville, then they were done. How far he would go to get his way was limitless it seemed, as he was quite happy to take away jobs from so many and income from the town that might be a devastating loss, just to get Lex to do as he was told.

“You’re not serious.” He shook his head, though truth be told he knew he was anyway.

“Oh, I can assure you, son,” his father smiled all but evilly, “I am perfectly serious,” he said with conviction, turning then to leave the office.

He didn’t make it more than two paces when Lex was suddenly in front of him, eyes as alight with angry fire as his own were dark with similar emotions.

“You won’t make me leave here,” he said defiantly, trying not to lose his temper as Lionel’s smile twisted into a smirk.

“And just why not, Lex?” he asked him, not at all phased apparently. “What do you have to stay here for, hmm?” he wanted to know. “I can make your job redundant, turn you out of this house which I own,” he pointed out, “and don’t even try to pretend you have friends to stay for,” he mocked the boy he ought to love too much to do so. “Even your precious little high school girlfriend can’t be bothered with you anymore,” he sneered.

Lex fought to keep his countenance. He couldn't bear to be torn away from the only place that had ever felt like home, and more than that, he would not hear Chloe spoken about in such a way. 

“You leave Chloe out of this,” he ground out, fighting the urge to lash out, knowing it would only give his father one more reason to make him suffer, make him miserable.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Lionel, looking anything but as he side-stepped his son and circled around him as he spoke. “Are your somewhat questionable preferences for much younger women a sore subject, Alexander?” he taunted him, knowing what he was doing and apparently not caring. “I have to admire the girl I suppose, she has moved on from her crush astonishingly quickly,” he said, even as Lex’s hands turned to fists as he watched the weather beyond the window growing as fierce as his temper was prone to be, “but then I wonder if you were really after her heart,” said Lionel, “or just her virginity.”

The ferocity of the storm raging beyond the house was nothing compared to the emotional tsunami that rose up inside Lex Luthor in that moment. He was overcome by it, a red haze almost literally settling in his eyes as he turned and flew at his father with a fist raised. He caught Lionel hard across the face, but to his credit, the older man did not stumble, though he rocked badly on his feet. His immediate reaction was to hit back, though as he raised his arm to do so, an almighty crash was heard. Stained glass rained down as the biggest tree on the estate came crashing through into Lex’s office. For both Luthor men, the world then turned to black.


	23. Chapter 23

Chloe really hadn’t expected to spend so much of her special night in a hospital. She hated the places at the best of times, but she'd had one trip too many into Smallville Medical Centre these past few months. Chloe hoped this was the last time for a good long while as she glanced down at her watch and took in the time of two in the morning. She had been sat here four hours already, waiting and hoping.

To think that before her biggest worry was that Lana's former and current dates would come to blows for the raven-haired beauty's honour, something that could easily have occurred given her almost-agreement to go to the dance with Clark only to switch back to being on Whitney's arm the second he apologised for their latest argument, leaving the farm boy to go stag! Now Chloe had much more serious things on her mind, everyone in Smallville did. She had seen too many of her friends wheeled through this hospital corridor in chairs or on gurneys, too many injuries that she couldn’t bear to see or hear about right now. Her biggest concern was her own date for the night.

It had all happened so fast, Chloe hardly knew it was occurring until it was over. One minute she was dancing in the arms of her best friend, actually starting to enjoy herself, the next the Principal was at the microphone in place of Remy Zero and an announcement was given to say a tempest was coming too close for comfort to Smallville High.

The large group of teens, plus teachers and chaperones, and even the band from the stage, were all rushed down to the basement and safety from the violent storm. As they filed down there, they had to pass windows and that was where the trouble started. Debris blown up by a tornado that had found its way too close to the building, smashed its way in through a side window. In a moment of what Chloe could only call sheer bravery, Paul had flung himself into her and pushed her into a corner, away from danger. Unfortunately, he left himself open to attack, a barrage of splintered wood, shards of glass, and more peppering his back and head with cuts and grazes.

He hadn’t lost consciousness, for that Chloe was at least grateful, but they had to tend to his wounds as best they could in the basement of the school, until it was safe enough for an ambulance to get through and collect him. Paul went through the whole ordeal with good humour and a smile that left Chloe reeling. How he could be so strong she had no idea, but she was so proud to call him a friend.

They’d arrived here at the hospital a couple of hours ago, along with other students with minor cuts and bumps. Much more serious injuries had been suffered of course, as cars were blown up off the roads like toys, and houses collapsed under the pressure of the strong winds that tore areas of Smallville apart. There were bound to be fatalities, Chloe was certain, and her brain ran a mile a minute, worrying about those unaccounted for.

Clark and Whitney had got into a fight over Lana, which had resulted in tears and very nearly a fist fight. All three had left not long after and Chloe had been worried about how they all got home, if they were all safe. Thankfully, she had heard since that they had all made it back to their respective homes before the storm hit. That meant they were fine, in a physical sense at least. There was no telling how they were doing emotionally, but Chloe couldn’t let her mind dwell on that right now. There was one other person she was worried about the welfare of, but for whatever reason, Lex had yet to reply on the messages she had left him.

“Any word yet, honey?” asked Gabe as he returned to his daughter's side with two cups of coffee from the nearest machine, and caught her once again staring at her cell.

“No.” She shook her head sadly, the fancy hair style she’d perfected hours ago now all but collapsed, locks of hair falling down in all directions, including into her face. “I ran outside to check whilst you were gone but still no answer,” she sighed. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t at least tell me he’s okay. I know we had a stupid fight but... I didn’t want anything awful to happen to him, Dad.”

“Oh, sweetheart, Lex knows that,” said Gabe, awkwardly hugging her with one arm, trying not to spill either the coffee in his other hand, or the cup she held tight. “And I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably just lost the signal on his cell, or maybe he’s busy making sure all the house staff are okay,” he suggested.

Chloe hoped it was something as simple as that keeping Lex from calling her. Anything worse and she wasn’t sure how she would deal. She had been so mad at him, a part of her still was, but at the same time she still cared about him, still loved him on some level and could not bear the thought of him having been badly hurt... or worse.

“Chloe?” the voice of a kind woman caught her attention and the blonde looked hopeful for Mrs Danforth’s sake as she glanced up at her. “Oh, sweetheart.” Her friend’s Mom gathered her up in a huge hug that Chloe didn’t mind at all.

“How’s he doing?” she asked, even as the life was almost squeezed out of her.

“Better, much better,” said Mrs Danforth with a smile, even though tears were still forming in her eyes, relief was causing them now more than sadness it seemed. “Would you like to go see him?” she offered, knowing how close this girl and Paul had gotten the past few months.

Poor Chloe had at least partly blamed herself for the injuries her friend had sustained, but Mrs Danforth would not hear such guilty worries. She knew her son and the kind of young man he was. He had risked himself to save someone else, that was just like him, and she was a proud mother right now. Of course, she was also very much relieved that he had not been more badly hurt, but she never for a moment blamed Chloe for putting Paul in danger.

Mrs Danforth stayed with Gabe in the hall, gratefully accepting his offer to fetch her a hot drink, as Chloe went through into Paul’s room. There was a bandage on his head and some obvious cuts on his skin, but for the most part he looked very much as he always did, bright-eyed and smiling, pleased to see her, if not a little groggy in his greeting.

“Hey, Chlo,” he said, trying for a wave that didn’t really happen, as she carefully sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. “I am very glad to see you. I figure you’ll fuss a little less than my mom.” He rolled her eyes.

“Don’t count on it,” she told him, trying to stop further tears welling in her eyes. “You gave me a hell of a scare, Danforth,” she warned him, as if angry, but she only managed to make him chuckle with laughter that eventually made him wince.

“I’m not worth the worry, sweetheart,” he told her honestly, reaching for her hand which she happily let him take. “People are dying in here, I know it,” he said seriously then. “Anyone who was out in that thing...” He shook his head gingerly, mindful of how much it was still throbbing and spinning at times. “Is everyone else from the school okay? And your dad?” he quickly asked.

Chloe nodded immediately.

“Yeah, everyone accounted for,” she told him. “Mostly, anyway.”

He frowned at that, wondering what Chloe could mean, why her eyes dipped to the bed that way. He was about to ask when his slowed-down mind unscrambled the riddle and he took his guess that he was almost certain to be correct.

“Lex?” he asked, and a lone tear streaked down Chloe’s cheek as she looked up at him once again, immediately wiping away said tear with her free hand.

“He’s probably fine,” she forced an almost-smile. “I just, I haven’t heard from him is all and... He’s probably fine,” she repeated, shaking her head free of thoughts of a man that was indeed most likely okay.

Here before her was a young man who was injured and all because he was trying to protect her. That meant a hell of a lot to Chloe, and she planned on telling him so too.

“You’re looking at me funny,” he noted with an odd tone and look that was no doubt drug-induced, and made Chloe smile some at least.

“I was just trying to figure out why you saved me the way you did,” she sighed. “It could’ve been me in this hospital bed.”

“But it’s not,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “Chloe, I did what I did because... I don’t even know, instinct, I guess?” he said sleepily. “You’re like the best friend I’ve had in I don’t know how long. I wasn’t gonna let anything happen to you.”

Tears came to Chloe’s eyes at the sound of those words and she had no doubt they were completely truthful. She and Paul may have proved themselves to be decent actors but with each other they were always honest at least.

“Thank you,” she said then, his eyes popping open again at the sound of her voice. “Seriously, thank you, Paul, for protecting me. It’s not something I have to say much but... I mean it,” she swore.

“What are friends for?” He smiled back at her, starting to lose his battle with a drug-induced snooze it seemed, as his eyes grew misty and slid shut too easily.

Chloe smiled with tears still evident in her eyes as she squeezed her friend’s hand one more time and then got up from the bed to leave. He needed rest now, but he was going to be okay, that was all that mattered.

Stepping out of the hospital room, Chloe carefully and quietly closed the door, unable to cross the corridor a moment as a gurney was wheeled quickly past her, carrying another victim of the tempest that had not been as lucky as her or Paul. It was a woman and so her eyes did not linger too long. Had it been a man she’d spotted, she might’ve double-checked it wasn’t Lex.

“Honey,” her father was suddenly at her side, though Chloe hadn’t noticed his arrival there. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, stifling a yawn. “This has turned into one of the longest days of my life,” she noted rather pointlessly, after all, everyone was suffering the same or much worse actually.

“Chloe, I know where Lex is,” said Gabe then, watching his sleepy daughter perk up in a second, though as yet he had not told her whether the news were good or bad. “He’s here in the hospital, he has been hurt,” he admitted, “but he’s going to be just fine, honestly,” he swore to her, words she believed but that didn’t stop Chloe’s heart beating what felt like twice the speed of light.

“Can I see him?” she asked, her hand on her father’s arm balancing her as her legs felt the need to give way, though she wasn’t sure whether that had more to do with her tiredness, the shocks she’d endured, or the relief of knowing that Lex was alive at least and close by.

She heard not a word and saw not a thing as Gabe took her down the hall to the room where her friend, her crush, a man that meant the world to her, was laying too still and quiet. Chloe took in deep breath as she slipped in and closed the door behind her. Turning back to face the bed, tears that had been threatening too long welled up and trickled in two streams down her cheeks. Her hand covered her mouth as she took in the sight of Lex, one eye swollen shut and blood still across his head and face despite the fact there had been attempts to clean him up. He looked so pale, so weak, so very unlike himself, as Chloe moved tentatively towards the bed and hovered by the edge, unsure whether to sit or stand, whether to speak or keep her silence.

The one eye able to open seemed to flicker a moment, as if to bring her into focus, and then she was glad to see a small smile form on Lex’s lips.

“Chloe,” he breathed. “I’m glad you’re okay” he said, coughing just a moment later and taking too long to stop.

“Lex,” she said more shakily than she meant to as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “What happened to you?” she asked, at which he seemed to only smile more, though even this expression was weak and watery at best.

“Ever the truth seeker,” he teased, even in such a serious moment. “I honestly don’t know what happened,” he admitted then, all humour gone as he seemed to re-live the events that led to his being here. “I was fighting with my father. One minute, everything was normal, and the next..” He shook his head as much as he dare, closing his good eye as Chloe looked on.

A sickening thought occurred to her then and the little blonde honestly wasn’t sure she should even ask the question on her mind. Lex was right though, she was always out to get the truth, and this occasion was no different to any other in that respect.

“Where is Lionel?” she asked, and that had Lex’s attention back on her in a moment.

His eyes searched hers for her true feelings, he wondered if she might be accusing him of something, but no. In Chloe’s honest gaze he found only concern and worry, perhaps sympathy for his condition. She needed to know about his father because that man’s condition affected his now, and in spite of all that had happened, Chloe still cared for Lex, this he believed to be true and he couldn’t help but love it.

“My father is unconscious,” he admitted. “He was hit by the debris with more force that I was,” he explained, in a voice too quiet to truly be his own. “I honestly don’t remember... I’m not sure what’s going to happen now.”

“I’m sorry, Lex,” said Chloe truthfully, neither of them entirely sure just exactly what the apology was for. “I can’t say what happened with us just magically doesn’t hurt anymore,” she said, swallowing down more tears and the shake that threatened to take her voice away, “but when I thought you might be... When I didn’t hear from you...” she said, losing her battle with the need to cry and collapsing into tears on the edge of the bed.

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” Lex promised her, putting his hand on the back of her head where it lay beside him, running his fingers through her hair and trying to bring her some comfort. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said in a whisper that Chloe almost didn’t hear.

Sniffing, but gaining a little composure now, his friend looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, cheeks streaked with new tears and the last of her make-up.

“Paul saved me,” explained Chloe, trying to wipe away the worst of the damage on her face, “he’s in here too.”

“Is he badly hurt?” asked Lex, apparently appearing genuinely concerned because Chloe never questioned it.

“Not really,” she answered without a moments thought. “Not compared to what might’ve been. He should be out tomorrow,” she explained, feeling more strange now than she had even when she came in.

“With a little luck so will I,” Lex told her. “They’re only keeping me here tonight in case of complications with my head,” he rattled off what the doctors had told him, before refocusing his good eye on Chloe’s face and smiling. “I am so glad to see you, Chloe,” he admitted, putting down the sudden surge of emotional confession to the drugs he’d been pumped full of perhaps. “I’ve missed you so much,” he told her genuinely.

“I’ve missed you too, Lex.” She nodded, but the moment his fingers moved to clasp her own she retracted her hand away from him into her lap. “But it cant be how it was, at least not yet,” she said seriously. “I’d love to say we could go right back to being best friends but... I have to be over you before that can happen,” she told him awkwardly. “I’m not there yet.”

Lex honestly didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t disagree with her sound argument, and he had no reason to try. Encouraging her romantic feelings towards him would be pointless and more than that dangerous. He still craved her friendship, of course, and it seemed she at least wanted to retain that relationship with him. Given time to come to terms with the fact they could never be more than friends, something he himself had always had to do, it might make them even stronger one day.

Chloe had no clue what to say next and since Lex was not forthcoming either and could only yawn in response to her words, she realised now was not the time for any deeper conversation.

“You should get some rest,” she said, getting up, putting a hand to her head as it spun some. “Apparently, so should I,” she realised as she turned towards the door, “I’ll see you soon, Lex,” she said as she finally left.

It was not until she had closed the door behind her that Lex spoke at all;

“Goodbye, Chloe.”


	24. Chapter 24

It was going to take months for Smallville to get back on its feet after the storm to end all storms had hit. Lives had been taken, a small number thankfully, but every one meant heartbreak for some person or other. There were injuries to recover from, houses to be repaired, in some cases entirely rebuilt. Still, in the first two weeks that followed, things had come together well. The worst had passed, the level of patients in the hospital had dipped back down to an almost usual level, and people were returning to work and such.

In the life of Chloe Sullivan, a lot had changed this past year, but as she walked the streets of Smallville, seeing recovery and hope all round her, she found a smile. Things were looking up, after a year that had been so very mixed up. She was reconciled with her friends; Clark, Pete, and Lana, They had all made an effort to make their apologies for the way they had treated her and the reporter-turned-actress had graciously accepted. She knew she hadn’t exactly handled the situation well herself, but it was to be forgotten now. One too many near-death experiences had them all re-evaluating where they stood in their lives, what really mattered to them.

This Summer would mark a few more changes in the leafy little hamlet that was Smallville. Whitney Fordman had come to realise his destiny did not lie here, and was planning to head off and join the Marines. He had ended things with Lana, for both their sakes, and as awful as it sounded even in her own head, Chloe had no doubt at all Clark would take his opportunity to fill the gap left behind by Whitney just as soon as Lana was healed enough to let him do so.

Chloe would not have to bear witness to her two friends falling all over each other this Summer at least. She had plans of her own, far away from here, and the smile on her face was genuine in its brightness as she entered The Beanery and spotted the young man who had helped her with those very same plans.

“Hey,” she greeted him as she slipped in to the booth opposite him.

“Hey yourself, sweetheart.” Paul smiled at the sight of her, his expression genuinely bright and barely a mark showing on him to prove the bravery he had shown just a fortnight ago when the tempest had all but destroyed Smallville High’s Spring Formal. “I already ordered the usual,” he told her at which she rolled her eyes.

“How’d you get to be so perfect, Mr Danforth?” she teased him, as the waitress appeared as if by magic with their everyday coffee order in her hands.

“Natural talent.” he shrugged at her joke. “So, you all packed and ready for the off tomorrow? Said all your goodbyes?” he asked her.

“Yes, and almost,” she answered with a nod of her head, though her eyes remained deep in her coffee cup where she would find no real inspiration.

“Uh-huh,” said Paul thoughtfully, sure he understood her despite the vagueness of her answer. “You mean you didn’t see Lex yet, right?” he guessed correctly, hardly needing to try at all.

Chloe looked up to meet her friend’s eyes but only for a moment. She knew she was a coward and an idiot. She should go see Lex, if only to check he was okay after his own ordeal in the storm, and to be polite enough to let him know she would be away the next couple of months. They had been best friends, after all, and she would like to maintain some kind of relationship with him, even if she knew it could never be quite the one she wanted. She should go and see him and it should be today, before it was too late. _Should_ being the operative word.

“Isn’t karma a wonderful thing?” said Paul then, prompting Chloe to glance up with a quizzical look that soon turned wide-eyed with no request for explanation required as his meaning became all too clear just as soon as she followed her friends gaze.

“Did you set this up?” she hissed across the table, though her eyes remained fixed on the figure of Lex Luthor who had just strode into the coffee shop.

“How would I even do that?” asked Paul, honestly bemused by her question though she wasn’t paying any attention at all as she slipped out of the booth and placed herself right in the path of the town’s resident billionaire.

“Lex, hi.” She smiled up at him, immediately wondering why her voice had come out so high and overly chipper, and why she was grinning like a fool in front of him.

“Chloe, this is a pleasant surprise,” he told her, seeming genuine at least.

“I was actually hoping I’d run into you,” she explained, as she accompanied him to the counter. “I, er... How are you doing, Lex?” she decided to ask first, his health being more important than her plans she realised at the last moment.

“Just fine.” He nodded. “Thank you for your concern.”

The cut was still terribly visible above his eye and bruising began on the hand that rested on the counter, no doubt continuing up the arm that hid beneath his tailored jacket and purple shirt sleeve.

“And your father?” asked Chloe then, knowing from her various sources of news that the man was at least still in the hospital.

“No change yet,” sighed Lex. “I can’t decide whether it’s a good or bad thing that his comatose state is going on so long,” he admitted quietly, not wishing for his business to be heard by all and sundry. “I suppose I should want him to wake as soon as possible but...” he stopped then, his eyes meeting Chloe’s a moment but almost immediately glancing away again in seconds. “I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear all my problems,” he apologised, ordering the coffee to go that he had come in for as a girl behind the counter finally paid him attention.

Chloe felt a little sick then. A few weeks ago, Lex would’ve told her all he was feeling about his father and everything else. They had been that close, it was almost crazy to think about it now, how fast their friendship had formed and become so very solid. Apparently, not as solid as she thought, Chloe realised that now, else how could Lex ever be so cold with her?

“I wanted to talk to you,” she said then, catching his attention one more time. “I’m going away for the Summer,” she explained as he looked at her. “Paul found this event online, for aspiring actors and all,” she said with a small smile that she could not help and an enthusiasm that even surprised Chloe herself. “It’s workshops, talks by some semi-well knowns. It’ll look good on a college application if nothing else.” She rolled her eyes.

“Sounds like you’re going to have a good time, you and Paul,” said Lex, trying his damnedest to look happy for her, to seem genuinely pleased.

It wasn’t an easy task, but Lex had been faking emotions and telling lies all of his life in some way or other. He took no pleasure in being less than genuine with Chloe Sullivan, but it was the only way to get by right now. To have her in his life, he must keep her at arms length. If that meant accepting that she would be held in the arms of another man, if he had to give her a push to get her there, so be it. It would not be the first pain he had suffered, and doubtless would not be the last.

“I think it could be fun, yeah,” she said bravely, though it broke her heart just a little that he didn’t seem to care that she wouldn’t be round. “I’ve never seen Gotham, so the sight-seeing should be an experience at least.”

“Gotham City?” Lex checked, a slight frown appearing on his features for just a few seconds. “Promise me you’ll be careful, Chloe,” he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “That place doesn’t have the greatest reputation.”

Chloe couldn’t deny she loved the realisation that he cared about her, something that just a moment ago had not been entirely evident. Of course, the truth was, as nice as it felt when he looked at her that way, it only made it harder to remind herself they couldn’t go down that road she so craved to travel.

“I’ll be fine.” She nodded, neither of them noticing the waitress putting down Lex’s coffee on the counter. “I have Paul to look out for me if I need him,” she said, forcing a smile, “and hey, it’s not like you’ll have time to miss me when I’m gone. My Dad says there are big plans afoot for our leafy little hamlet at the hands of one Lex Luthor.”

“There are a few changes to be made at the plant,” he admitted. “And I have my eye on one or two properties in town... Plans are in the early stages yet,” he told her, loving that they were at least able to talk again it seemed. “I doubt you’ll think much about this place over the Summer, not with Paul and all your activities in Gotham to occupy your mind.”

A strange but not entirely uncomfortable silence settled between the pair of friends then, that neither was willing to break. So much had happened these past months, Lex thought, so many ups and downs, and yet through them all he had Chloe at his side. Her feelings for him, feelings he returned and yet could not speak of, it made things problematic. Still, he was an adult and Chloe seemed determined to have the capacity to be just as sensible and grown up about this as him. That being true, they could save their friendship out of this mess, it seemed, and for that the young Mr Luthor was truly grateful.

“I’m glad we’re still friends, Lex,” said Chloe then, almost as if she’d read his mind.

When she reached to hug him, he made no move to push her away but instead reciprocated, the moment he recovered from the surprise at her sudden movement. 

“Have a good Summer, Chloe,” Lex wished her all the best as he held on tight to her for what might’ve been hours and yet in reality was over in no more than a few fleeting seconds.

“You too, Lex,” she replied in kind. “Don’t work too hard.” She smiled as she gave that familiar warning that he had heard from her so many times before.

“I’ll try not to,” he said as he picked up his coffee, dropped a bill on the counter, and swept out of the coffee shop.

From the booth a few feet away, Paul watched the non-couple share their friendly goodbye. They were parting as friends, and that was all that could be hoped for right now. Still, as Chloe watched Lex leave The Beanery, Paul was sure this whole thing was not over yet. The great Chloe-Lex friendship was only the beginning. The great Chloe-Lex ill-advised and somewhat tragic romance was still to come, he was certain, never more so than in that moment when she wiped away a stray tear nobody was supposed to see, cried over a man that was so well-practised at hiding his feelings, Paul wondered if Lex himself even knew how much Chloe really meant to him.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” said Paul to himself, though nobody heard a word.


End file.
